


Red

by 8bitalpha



Series: Project Phoenix [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Assassins, Multi, Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-03-15 21:54:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3463403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8bitalpha/pseuds/8bitalpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of Agent Orion, a highly skilled fuckup who happens to be a well trained and mutually hated mercenary. His life is basically in shambles, his team is turning on him, his leader wants him dead for crimes he didn't commit, and, for reasons unknown, most days he's fine with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sync

“You’ll be just fine now, son. Don’t worry.” 13 year old Connor Lawson was curled up in a corner seat of the police car, half listening to the soothing words of Officer Pat. “You know, I’ve got a son just about your age. His name is Matthew; I think you’ll both get along fine. Of course, you both had different upbringings...You won’t have to live like that anymore, Connor. We have a doctor who will see to your wounds and patch you up, then you can rest for a few days, if you want. I know it’s a lot to take in.” Pat continued, glancing at Connor in the rear-view mirror.

“You’re gonna learn some...interesting things in King, Connor. The people there...they’re not like regular people. They've been...trained, I guess you could say. They're--what'd he call them--mercenaries. Whether it's illegal or not, no one is really sure yet, but it's damn sure something different." Pat fell silent for a moment, as if trying to gather his thoughts or let the boy speak. When Connor didn't react to news that should've been upsetting, he continued.

"I think you'll like King, kiddo. Major is the leader up there--nobody uses his mercs without going through him first. They're killers, yeah, but there's a system. They run with consciences--the greater good, I suppose. My son Matt, as unfortunate as it is, is training under Major as Taurus. Every time I see him, he's always different...it breaks my heart to think that he might be one of many who don't make it out of King alive..." Pat trailed off with an audible swallow before clearing his throat and continuing his rambling streak. "But, that's the career he wanted--what he wanted to do with his life. Stubborn cuss, my boy. I think you'll get along with him fine. Matt--erm, Taurus, gets along with everyone--tries to, anyways."

Part of Connor  _really_ wanted Pat to just stop talking about his perfect son.

"Get some sleep, kiddo. We've got a long ride ahead of us, and if you aren't going to try to keep up conversation, you should try to rest." Pat finally said with one last glance at the boy and he nodded, pulling his knees up to his chin and trying to get as comfortable as he could in a cop car, shoving down the memories of the last time he'd encountered an enforcer of the peace and instead trying to imagine a better life--surprising himself, a life in this place that Patrick Cunningham called "King".

 

***

 

“Connor, wake up. We’re here.” Pat called and Connor blinked, looking out his window.

“How’s the kid?” A gruff voice asked, peeking their head into the car through the driver’s side window.

“Hasn’t said a word since we picked him up. Name’s Connor. Might wanna go get Corvus--tell ‘im we’ got wounded.” Pat said, climbing out of the car and opening the door for the boy. “C’mon, son. It’s alright. You’ll be safe here.” He promised and Connor stepped out, digging his nails into his own arms and glancing around nervously.

“Hello, Connor. My name is Major. Can you tell me how old you are?” The man who called himself ‘Major’ asked, crouching a little until he was eye-level with Connor.

“Yeah, I don’t think he talks, boss. Might be a mute. Hell, can’t say I blame the poor thing--shitty situation he was in.” Pat answered and Connor swallowed, still staring at Major. The man’s hair was peppered with gray with steel-gray eyes to match, a square jaw dotted with battle scars and stubble, and a camouflage hoodie covered his muscular arms. Major reached up to pat Connor on the shoulder and the boy skirted away from the affection, pressing himself against the police car.

“Don’t...don’t _fucking touch me_.” Connor snarled, finally working up the strength to speak after the death of his parents. He stared up at Major with his jaw clenched and hands balled into fists--trying to be intimidating even if his hands were shaking.

“Oh my God he speaks.” Pat murmured behind them as Connor squared his shoulders, ready to fight back if Major advanced on him. Instead, the older man threw his head back, laughing at the top of his lungs like the boy’s words were the funniest punchline in the world.

“Ho...holy shit, son. You...you’re a little badass, aren’t you? Shit, kid. You’re definitely one of us. You’re completely fearless, huh? Can look an armed stranger in the face and swear at him, then square off to fight him? That takes guts.” Major gasped out as the laughter faded, Connor still glaring at him.

“Major? Who’s this?” A little voice squeaked and Connor followed the sound to a girl--a little girl in a too-big black hoodie and bright emerald-green eyes.

“Lynx, I thought I told you to wait in the lab with Epsilon?” Major asked quietly, but there was no anger or agitation behind his words. The girl, Lynx, straightened at attention, throwing her shoulders back and lifting her chin.

“Sorry, sir, I just wanted to see who the new addition was.” She apologized, her bright eyes locked on Connor, almost like she was judging him.

“Understandable, Agent. Connor, meet Agent Lynx. Lynx, this is Connor. He’ll be staying with us for a little while. May be training with you, if he wants.” Major raised an eyebrow to Connor as Lynx nodded once.

“Hello, Connor. Welcome to King County.” Her chipper voice suddenly shifted into a feral snarl and she lunged at Connor before he could react, ripping him down to her level by the collar of his shirt. “You say anything about anything you see here, myself and the others are well in our rights to put you down. But,” she released him and straightened, the fire seeping from her eyes, “if you choose to stay here, if you choose to be one of us…then that’s it. You fight with us, then we’ll fight with you. If you’re part of the team, then you’re family. Nobody messes with you without messing with us.” Lynx promised, her lips parting in a gentle smile and the fight from before fading out.

Connor nodded, taking in her words for a moment. _Family...I’d like that. I **need** that._

 “Do you want to be part of this, kid? You wanna be a King soldier?” Major asked, crossing his arms.

Connor nodded again slowly, pushing himself off of the police car. “Yes. I want to.” He growled, forcing up what confidence he could muster and putting some effort into what could be his own funeral, if Pat was right about King soldiers not surviving.

“Alright. Connor, from today until long after the day you die, you’ll be known as Agent Orion. Welcome to the Order.”

 

***

 

Orion glanced over at Lynx from her cover spot across the room. She had her back pressed against the wall, jamming a magazine into her assault rifle. At 16 and 19 going on 20, Agents Lynx and Orion were taking on their first target as partners. Orion forced his eyes back to their enemies and reloaded his shotgun, a venomous smirk on his face that quickly faded when his gun stopped firing. _Fucking shotgun!_  He ducked down and started stripping the weapon, trying to clear the jam.

“Fuck fuck fuck.” He hissed, trying to shove out the bullet lodged in the barrel--as dangerous as the action was. “No, no, no dammit not now!” Orion's patience completely left him, struggling more than he should've to get the jam out of the aging shotgun. He never noticed Lynx charging towards him, taking the enemies advancing on her partner head on. She hissed and stumbled backwards, clutching at her side and trying to use her gun to block the blows from the long blade knife. Orion looked up at the sound of her in pain and grabbed the barrel of his gun, planning to use the butt as a club, and swinging at the one had had cut Lynx. Hot iron burned through his side as a bullet felt like it would tear him apart and Orion sank down, his knees buckling from the pain.

Lynx had readjusted herself and leaped over him, her fist connecting with the shooter’s jaw with a force that knocked him on his back and sent him sliding. Her eyes blazed as she struck down another using nothing but her hands and she whirled back to Orion, pressing her hands to the bullet wound on his chest. “Alright, brother. Take a deep breath. It’s just a gunshot. You’ll be okay.” Lynx assured him as she pulled the radio out of her bag. “Alpha 12, this is Beta Niner and Gamma 19. We have wounded and are taking heavy fire-- _oh shit_ \--and we need e-vac now. Sync?” She hissed into the static, still keeping one hand pressed to his chest and ducking to dodge bullets.

“Sync. We read you, Niner. Sending extraction now. Just hold on a little longer. Alpha out.” Lyra's voice crackled through the radio and Lynx grinned.

“Beta out.” The radio clicked off and she turned back to her wounded partner. “Orion? Can you hear me, man?” She asked and Orion felt her blood-soaked hands slide up to his face.

“Gah, my chest is killing me.” He rasped out, trying to crack a smile.

“I bet. You took a shotgun to the lung. Don’t worry, though. We’ve got Lyra coming with extraction and then we can get you some help, okay? Just keep breathin’.” Lynx begged, moving her hands back down to the gunshot wound. “We just gotta wait out the gunfire. Lyra can take them out when she gets here, then everything will be okay.” She was reassuring herself more than Orion; he’d never seen her so afraid. Lynx wasn’t the kind of person to give in, or to let other people win: in her book, it was win and live, or lose and die. No fear, no regrets, no survivors. The code of the assassins.

“Lynx, you are the one who needs to breathe, right now. Look at me, Lynx. We’ll be alright.” Orion swore, grabbing the younger girl’s chin and locking his eyes on hers. “We’ll be okay, Lynx. Everything will be alright. I’m not giving up on you, and you’re not giving up on me. We’re the agent in black and the orphan in red. We can do this.” He continued, trying to keep her fear down. Lynx's breathing accelerated when a bullet burrowed into her into her shoulder and she buried her face in his chest, biting down a cry of pain.

 _Two bullets. She’s taken two bullets in critical spots. Right under the ribcage and one in the shoulder. And still she’s worried about me._  

“Blue one! On your right!” One of the enemies shouted and Lynx perked up a little.

“Lyra. Thank God,” she murmured as the sound of gunshots picked up with the older agents entering the fray.

“Wow, you two look like shit.” Special Agent Perseus observed, shaking his head.

“Perseus,” Lynx whispered, grabbing the older agent’s hand and pulling herself to her feet, “Orion's hurt. We gotta get him out.”

“Is that so? You don’t look too good yourself, kiddo.” Perseus chuckled, stepping around Lynx and sticking out a hand to haul Orion to his feet. “C’mon, little brother. On your feet.” Orion groaned as he stood up, the buckshot burrowing deeper into his chest.

“Easy, easy. Lynx said you took a shotgun to the lung--you need to just take it slow.” Lyra insisted, holstering her pistols. Orion couldn't remember when the gunshots had stopped, or who'd taken out their side objectives, as Lyra reached them with her arms crossed and eyes scanning the new partners.

“I’m fine, honest.” Orion mumbled, stumbling when he tried to walk forward. Lynx grabbed him and held him upright, and he could feel the mix of fear and pain rolling off of her. “I’m alright, Lynx. Just leave me be.”

“No--you can barely stand. I’m not just gonna leave you alone.” She growled and Orion fought a smirk.

_Stubborn little brat._

 

***

 

Orion's head was throbbing when he woke up. “Well, well, well. Look who’s up.” Agent Lupus observed, his navy blue eyes seeming darker than usual.

“Ugh…what the hell happened?” Orion asked, rubbing his eyes.

“You blacked out before you guys even got back. Thank God Lynx can drive, otherwise you two would probably be stranded somewhere between here and the Aries base.” Lupus growled, lowering his head and making the dark circles under his eyes look deeper.

“I don’t remember that…how’s Lynx? Where is she?” Orion's heart stumbled when he looked around and his partner wasn't there, the pain in his head suddenly gone and replaced by fear for her when Lupus frowned.

“In surgery--trying to get the bullets she took for you removed. She forced me to stay with you until she gets out.” He snarled, not bothering to conceal his hatred for the older soldier as he settled down in one of the recliners and lifted a comic to his face.

“You always do what a subordinate tells you?” Orion sneered and Lupus raised an eyebrow without looking up.

“I don’t take orders from _you_. I take orders from Lynx and Lyra. They’re at the top of Major's list.” He retorted quickly, his eyes flashing.

“That list doesn’t mean a fucking thin--”

“Easy, bro. No need to rip him apart.” Agent Taurus chided, patting Orion's boot as he lumbered past and plopped on the couch beside him, shoving his adopted brother’s legs out of the way.

“Watch it! I just got shot over here!” Orion muttered with a laugh, throwing one of the pillows behind his head at Taurus. Lupus groaned and stood up, tossing the comic onto the coffee table and stalking off.

“Where’re you goin’?” Taurus called to the younger soldier, who stuck his head around the corner and glared right at Orion.

“I’m going to check on Lynx.”

“Dude, what the fuck did you do to him? Lupus doesn’t hate anybody, but he sure as fuck hates you.” Taurus laughed after Lupus was gone, shaking his head.

“I think he’s mad because I was paired with Lynx instead him. Didn’t take Hunter to be the jealous type.” Orion mused, smirking.

“Seriously, though, what the fuck happened to that guy? What the hell does someone have to live through to become...that? I’m gonna be honest with ya, Rio. Lupus is really damn scary.”

“I’m not scared of him. I say he’s all bark no bite. I don’t care how badass he thinks he is; Major thought I deserved to be paired with the agent in black. Instead of pairing her with her little pet, he chose me. I think that says something about who’s the better soldier, here.”

 

***

 

Orion walked into Corvus' office to see Lynx lying on her back on Corvus' metal table with Lupus sitting at her shoulders, staring at her and murmuring something that made her laugh and wince.

“Alright, super soldier. Try to be careful and take it easy for a couple of days. Relax and give those stitches time to set. You don’t want me to have to redo them.” Corvus chuckled as he snipped the hanging thread on her stitches.

“Thanks, Corvus.” Lynx said genuinely, slowly sitting up and sliding off the table. Lupus had been smiling until he noticed Orion standing awkwardly in the doorway; the smile and gleaming eyes darkening to a frown and damn-near black eyes. “Easy, Killer.” Lynx murmured to him, grabbing the sleeve of his dark blue hoodie. Lupus' eyes softened and he focused on her, trying to smile again.

_He’s a completely different person around her--_

“What can I do you for, Orion?” Corvus interrupted his thoughts and Lupus planted a palm on his chest, shoving the older soldier out of the way and into the wall with a glare. Orion bared his teeth and a growl rumbled in his throat but he pushed it down, slamming his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose.

 _Just be the bigger man here, Orion. Don’t hurt him with her around._ “I just wanted to know if you needed to work on me.”

“Lynx actually took care of you for me. She dug out all the buckshot when you blacked out. All I had to do was get the main bullet out of your lung. Already got it. She wouldn’t let me work on her until I’d fixed you, the poor thing.” Corvus smiled sadly, putting his tools away and washing his hands.

"Yeah, saving my ass is apparently going to be her signature, if our first mission is any indication as to how our careers are going to go." Orion shrugged, more bite in the words than he originally intended. Corvus let out what sounded like an exasperated laugh before pointing to the chair in front of him.

"Well, have a seat and let me look at you, and let's just hope that you're wrong."

 

 


	2. Fire

Orion’s blood boiled and he landed each punch on the dummy with deadly precision, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes burning into his scarred back.  _I_ _f that’s Lupus I swear to God I will fucking murder him._ He curled his toes and spun around, planning to land a heel to Agent Lupus' jaw.

Instead, his boot connected with Lynx’s palm, her delicate-looking fingers curling around his ankle and twisting his leg, ripping her partner’s balance away from him and letting him fall into the grass. “Are you done?” She smirked, crossing her arms and staring down at him.

Orion squinted up at her, his hands resting on his abs. “Are _you_ done, Lynx?” He retorted and her leg coiled back, ready to snap forward and land a steel toe into his ribs. “Please don’t. I really don’t want to go back to Corvus' office this week, if at all possible.” He chuckled as Lynx sat down beside him, pulling her knees up to her chin.

“How’re you feeling?” She asked quietly, her eyes forward.

“Fine. Still have trouble breathing sometimes, but it’ll pass. What about you? You had it worse than I did.” He answered honestly, glancing over at her.

“I’m holding on. My shoulder is giving me hell, but I can deal.” She shrugged and Orion sat up, sliding so he was sitting across from her.

“That’s not the real reason you came out here. What’s up? You can tell me anything--seriously, nothing surprises me anymore. Unless it’s a girl thing. Then talk to Lyra or something.” He chuckled and Lynx grinned, but the light didn’t reach her eyes.

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. I’m just...worried. About you, about those Phoenix guys, about Lupus, everything. I’ve got so much on my plate and everyone expects so much from me. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” She whispered, burying her face in her jeans.

“Do what?” Orion asked stupidly and she shrugged again.

“Everything--mostly this. Being a soldier. It’s exhausting--having the world on your shoulders, watching every move you make like you’re a horse they want to buy. It’s awful. Guess that’s that price I had to pay to become what I am. Just another _fucking monster_.” Lynx snarled, digging her nails into her legs.

Orion made the split second decision to grab one of her hands, running his thumb across one of the scars on the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, Lynx. I wish I could help.” He grumbled, leaning forward until his head was resting on her knees. She combed her fingers through his shaggily short hair lazily, almost like it was an instinct.

“You’re helping just by being here. I never had a real friend before you showed up.” Lynx murmured, sliding her hand from Orion’s hair down to his chin, lifting his head so he was looking at her.

“Glad I could be somewhat useful to the mighty Agent Lynx.”

 

***

 

Taurus sat crossed legged across from Orion, his assault rifle in his lap. “So, you and Lynx, huh?” He smirked suddenly and Orion’s hands paused on the stock of his shotgun.

“Excuse me?”

“C’mon, man. It’s obvious you have a thing for her. Don’t run away from your feelings!” Taurus mocked and Orion was tempted to bash him over the head with the butt of his gun.

“I do not have a ‘thing’ for Lynx. She’s just my partner.” He growled, clenching his jaw and choosing his words carefully.

“Dude, you can’t hide it from me. She may be oblivious, but you an’ me, we’re brothers. You got your radars locked on that girl--I see it every time you look at her.” Taurus leaned closer and lowered his voice, for once looking serious.

“R-Radars? What the fuck are you talkin’ about?” Orion frowned, his golden eyes darkening.

“Just sayin’ that you’ve been with a lot of people, man. You’re kinda considered a whore around here.” Taurus stifled a laugh, pulling back the firing rod on his rifle.

“Whore, hmm? Great. Needed that on my resume. ‘Murderer, orphan, abuse case, whore’. Fuckin’ great.” Orion growled, sliding the pump-action back onto his gun with a snap.

“Look, all I’m sayin’ is that Lynx is a pretty girl. Can’t really say that I blame you for wanting her.” Taurus could apparently sense that he was backing his adopted brother into a corner, and he knew there’d be hell to pay when he got out of it.

“I don’t _want_ her. She’s just a friend. She’s my goddamn partner--I wouldn’t risk losing that.” Orion argued, trying to defend himself.

“If you say so, man. Uh-oh. Heads up. Kill-joy in bound.” Taurus’ head whipped around, hearing something that his brother didn’t, and Orion simply assumed it was Lupus coming into the guys’ house. A door slammed and that was the only noise heard as the blue stormed into the den, his navy eyes blazing.

“Hey, Lupus. I can take a look at that pistol now, if you still want me to.” Taurus chirped, his words surprisingly genuine. He’d always made it a point to get along with all of the freelancers, but he was being especially nice to Lupus right now. Figures--even though the soldier was younger, his sheer muscle mass was terrifying. He looked even bigger when he was angry; his shoulders squared, his muscles flexed, his eyes narrowed, and his lips curled into a horrifying snarl. His eyes locked on Orion and he zoned out, coiling his leg muscles for a spring.

“Oh shit. You might wanna run, Rio.” Taurus let out a nervous laugh, hopping to his feet and lunging for the window, jumping through it and closing it behind him before disappearing across the yard.

“Motherfucker,” Orion growled as his brother ran, leaving him to face the bigger soldier alone. “Listen, Lupus, I don’t wanna fight you--” He started, only to be cut off by Lupus’ deadly snarl.

“Shut. Up. What did you do to her? Why is she talking about leaving?” He stalked towards Orion--who instinctively shrunk down--and grabbed him by the collar, ripping the older soldier to his feet. “ _Answer me_.” There was that deadly calm to his voice that made Orion cringe.

“I didn’t do anything. All I did was listen when she told me something.” He retorted and Lupus’ knuckles turned white.

“Bullshit. Why does she want to leave?” He hissed, and Orion was inwardly dreading the moment when he would inevitably snap.

“Because she’s tired of everyone expecting so much of her. She’s exhausted from being the monster the world sees her as.” He whispered, his own anger boiling up. Orion could _hear_ Lupus grinding his teeth together--a dangerous habit indicating that he was most likely about to get his ass kicked.

Lupus balled his free hand into a fist until his knuckles cracked and Orion gulped.  _This is it. He’s probably going to kill me this time. Wait…_ His eyes flicked around and he smirked. “Shotgun!” Orion shouted, hooking his heel under his gun and flinging it into the air, shoving his other foot into the younger soldier’s chest and kicking.

He grabbed the shotgun in the midst of a backflip, cocking it with one hand and bringing the butt of the gun to his shoulder the second his feet connected with the ground again. Lupus stumbled for a millisecond, almost immediately regaining his balance and squaring off in front of Orion.

“You really wanna fight a man with a shotgun? You seriously want to take this one to the end?” The older soldier challenged, bending his knees. “Because if you do, I gotta warn you: there’s a reason as to why Lynx and I were paired together. It's because _I don't die._ ” Orion growled and something flickered in those deadly navy eyes. The fire ebbed and Lupus  straightened, the anger draining as he stalked from the room and left Orion to stand with his gun raised like a madman, wondering _,_ _What the fuck just happened?_  
 

***

 

Orion was still mulling over Lupus' words well into the night, staring at his ceiling with his hands behind his head.  _She’s not really thinking of leaving, is she?_ He chewed on the inside of his mouth as he thought, a nervous habit that came along with rubbing his feet together.

“Rio? You awake?” Taurus called from the door and Orion let out a low whistle, inviting him in.

“What’s up, brother?” He asked calmly, rolling onto his side.

“I’m worried about Lupus. He’s being really...serious lately.” Taurus started tentatively and Orion feigned shock.

"For real? Holy shit, dude. And this is a thing that _just_ started happening? Oh God, we're all fucked."

Taurus grabbed a pillow and threw it at Orion, snarling when the agent in red didn’t flinch. “Seriously, guy. I mean, yeah he’s a dick, but he’s really torn up about the Lynx-wanting-to-leave thing. I think it might be messing with his head, you know?” Taurus fiddled with the hem of his hoodie, his jaw rotating in time with his fingers--his own nervous habit. Seemed to be a lot of those when you could wake up one day with some sort of weapon at your throat.

“Look, Matt, I don’t honestly give a fuck about Lupus. Honestly, I couldn't care less whether that dickwad lived or died. But, if he’s hurting because of Lynx, then I’ll talk to her if you can get Lyra to talk to him. Okay? Okay. Now get out and go to bed.” Orion grunted, rolling over so that he was facing the wall again.

“Fine. ‘Night, Rio.” 

“'Night, asshole.”

“Well then fuck you, too, _brother_.”

 

***

 

Three light taps on his window jolted Orion from his sleep. Rubbing his face with one hand, he looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand. 4 a.m. Groaning, he stood up and walked to the window, ripping the curtain back with more force than necessary. Lynx sat perched on the roof in front of his window, leaning on her toes.

“Another nightmare?” Orion asked quietly, crossing his arms.

She nodded somberly, rubbing her knees. “I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t like being by myself afterwards.” She murmured and Orion held out his hand--an offering for her to come in. Lynx grabbed his hand slowly, pulling herself into her partner’s room.

“You, uh...wanna talk about it?” Orion suggested and she shook her head.

“I...don’t think I can.” She mumbled and he shrugged, settling that it was better not to push her.

“Alrighty, then. We can just...hang out, I guess. Let’s start with the fact that you’re thinkin’ about leavin’ the Order.” His voice dropped to a growl and Lynx froze up, hanging her head and remaining silent. “Lynx, _please_ look at me.” He begged, moving her bangs out of her eyes.

Lynx chewed on her bottom lip and rubbed her knees again; only stopping when Orion grabbed her hands and held them still. “I never said I planned on leaving.” She muttered, still refusing to look at him.

“That’s not what Lupus said. He damn-near killed me today in the den over it.” Orion countered, grinding his teeth together.

“I’m sorry, then. Sorry a subordinate can scare you into submission.” Lynx sneered, one corner of her mouth turning up in a smirk.

“This is serious, Mya! You really want t--”

“Don’t you _dare_ call me that.” Lynx snapped, finally looking up and glaring at him. No-- _she_ didn’t glare at him. This was...someone--some _thing_ \--else. Coal black eyes through and through.

“Lynx?” Orion asked, slowly backing towards his door.

Lynx let out a primal snarl and Orion shoved himself against the wall, one hand slowly drifting towards anything he could grab--nothing. “Lynx...easy, now.” He murmured, holding his hands up in surrender.

Lynx snarled again, louder this time, before slowly starting to advance towards him, her back eyes glinting like embers in the dim light. “Lynx?” He managed to squeak out before she launched at him, grabbing him by the throat and ripping him to her level.


	3. Down

Lynx's hands snaked around Orion's neck and she hauled him to his feet, immediately sending him careening into and through the door, wood splintering around them as she locked her hand around his throat and pinned him to the banister.

He clawed at her hands, trying to break himself free from the iron grip around his windpipe. Those black eyes stared back at him, her slender face contorting into a wicked grin.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Taurus grumbled, ripping his door open and rubbing his eyes.

"Matt--little help?" Orion gasped, his eyes flicking between Taurus and Lynx.

"Ha ha, very funny, Rio. Go back to bed." Taurus growled, turning around to close his door again before Lynx snarled. His hand froze on the doorknob for a millisecond before he whirled back around, bending his knees. Orion clawed at Lynx's wrist until he drew blood, but she refused to let go. "Tell me what to do!" Taurus shouted, his eyes locked on Orion.

"Do _something_!" He rasped and Taurus looked thoughtful for a second before dashing down the hall past them, banging on the door to Lupus' room.

"Hunter! Get out here! We need you!" He yelled, banging until the door started to crack.

Lupus ripped the door open, glaring at Taurus for a split second before his eyes focused on Lynx. He backed against the wall and braced one foot against it, coiling his muscles and using the wall to propel him at Lynx and Orion. His arms locked around her waist and he wrestled her to the ground with surprisingly gentle force, bracing her legs down with his own and locking her arms above her head. "Easy, Lynx. Shh...it's okay. You're alright. Lupus's here...I've gotcha, soldier. Easy, now. You're okay. Lemme see those eyes again." Lupus murmured, pressing his forehead to hers and running his free hand up and down her side.

Lynx's struggles eased and Lupus' shoulders relaxed as he shuddered in a breath. "Why did she snap? What did you say?" He rasped between breaths, glancing at Orion.

"I called her 'Mya'. What the fuck...what was that?" Orion panted, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"That," Lupus nodded at Lynx, "was a little thing Major started calling 'Andromeda'. That happens when Lynx goes berserk. Her eyes ever go dark, back the fuck up."

 

***

 

Orion was sprawled out on his bed, eyes closed and headphones on, trying to get some extra sleep before the soldiers reported to the big house for the morning meeting. His bedroom door was still scattered across the floor in shards, but he tried to ignore the fact that he was most likely going to have to piece it back together with duct tape and glue sticks.

"Yo, Rio, wake up, brother. Show time." Taurus yawned, banging in the wall beside the door and jolting Orion out of his light sleep.

"8 already? Fuck, dude. I need to fix my sleep schedule." He growled, prying the headphones off and sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"You really do. Those circles under your eyes; I'd mistake you for Perseus." Taurus and Orion chuckled as the older of the two swung his legs over the bed.

Taurus shifted and looked down, grinding his teeth for a second. "Connor. Shirt." He mumbled and it took Orion's fuzzy brain a moment to catch up. He grunted and bent down to pull his shirt back on, instinctively wincing when the fabric touched his scars. "Thanks for reminding me, Matt. Forget sometimes, you know?"

"I get it, man. I know it's weird, having to hide those fuckin' things." Taurus replied quickly and Orion shrugged.

"I don't really have to, I just don't wanna freak anybody out. Especially Lynx. Might be a trigger or something for her. Sometimes...sometimes I can't even look in the mirror without scaring myself. If I can't even look at this shit without it spooking me, no way in hell can I let her see." He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"If you say so, brother. C'mon, we gotta get goin'."

 

***

 

The meeting was uneventful. All of it was exactly what they'd been hearing the past few weeks: a group calling themselves the 'Phoenix Project' was going around, stealing the best agents from each division and destroying the rest. None of the King kids were scared--in fact, most of them wanted to track the Phoenixes down and rip their throats out.

"Orion, I need you to stick around for a few minutes. The rest of you are dismissed." Major ordered gruffly and the soldiers who were allowed to leave relaxed.

Orion kept his tense stance, shoulders square and eyes forward. "Yes, sir?"

"At ease, soldier. Take a seat." Major extended a hand Orion relaxed a little, flopping into the chair and letting his legs dangle over one armrest.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I need you to answer this a seriously as you can manage, Connor. Do you feel like you're ready to be an assassin?" Major asked, leaning across the desk.

Orion instantly perked up and nodded quickly, trying to form a real sentence. "I...uh, yessir. I want to be an assassin. I mean--I feel like I'm ready. I've been out of training for, what, four years now? I've had plenty of fighting time on missions--I can't even remember how many I've been on. And...I mean I'm partnered with Lynx...there's gotta be a reason for that, right?" He scoffed, awkwardly letting the laugh die down when Major didn't react.

"Right. You know the process of becoming an assassin, right? Tests. Many tests. Once the testing starts, there's no guarantee that you'll even make it to ranks with the top agents. You sure you're ready for it?" Major raised an eyebrow and Orion gulped. _Really puttin' me on the spot, here._

"Y-Yes. I'm ready." He growled, trying to sound determined and hide his sudden spark of fear.

Major bit back a smirk and nodded once. "Good. Your testing starts next week. I hope you won't disappoint me."

_Don't you worry about that. I don't disappoint._

 

***

 

"You're out early." Lynx noted and Orion froze mid-swing, slowly turning around to face his partner. "What did Major want?" She pressed, cocking her head to the side.

"Just...asked me a couple questions." Orion shrugged, turning around to the practice dummy again. Lynx grabbed his shoulder and tugged at the hem of his hoodie, prying her own off and tossing it onto the fence railing. "What, you wanna fight me?" Orion mocked, feigning shock.

"What's the matter? Afraid you'll get your ass kicked by the agent in black?" She retorted quickly, smirking as she squared her shoulders and raised her fists.

"I ain't afraid of nothin', little girl." He growled with a grin, digging his heels into the ground. Orion knew how great Lynx was at hand-to-hand; how she'd easily taken down Lupus and Taurus when she was 14. It wouldn't take much for her to have him on his back. One wrong move, and he might as well have handed her the fight.

Her emerald eyes were bright with the anticipation of a fight, and suddenly she was everywhere and nowhere. Orion braced himself for impact when her foot came up to the side of his head, blocking the would-be devastating blow with his forearm. Lynx dashed around him before he could recover and kicked his legs out from under him, smashing her elbow into her partner's chest as he fell.

"Agh...fuck." He groaned, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"Get up, pussy. I didn't hit you that hard." Lynx teased, holding her hand out. Orion refused her help and instead pressed his hands into his chest, biting the inside of his mouth. "Shit. Did I really hurt you?" She dropped to her knees and scooched forward until she was beside him, scanning his torso. Her hands flitted across his chest and she wound her fingers around one of his hands, rubbing her thumb across the bridge of his hand. "I'm sorry, Rio. I...I didn't mean to. I wasn't paying attention. I fo--" Orion cut her whimpers off by covering her mouth with his free hand.

"I'm alright, Lynx. Honest." He swore, biting down the pain the subtle movement caused him.

"I have to tell you something," Lynx mumbled around him and Orion took his hand away, sitting up with a grunt.

"What's up?"

"Lupus...I'm really worried about him. He's not acting like himself. He's actually been avoiding me today. Lyra tried to talk to him and he acted like he wanted to rip her apart." She whispered, tracing an old scar on her palm.

"I think that's just Lupus taking his namesake. He's a moody son of a bitch." Orion chuckled, rolling his neck. Lynx opened her mouth to say something else but her head whipped around, focusing on Major's office.

"Lynx! Orion! Y'all got signed--suit up and be on the road in 10!" He ordered and the agents jumped to their feet, pulling their hoodies off of the railing and shrugging them back on.

"Wonder who we're hittin' tonight." Orion wondered and Lynx shrugged.

"I guess we'll find out when we get the file."

Major handed the target's file to Lynx when the two strode up to the porch of his office and the girl immediately started flipping through it with Orion glancing over her shoulder. "Jerry Macklevine, spy for the Aries. Former Phoenix, leader of the Cynthia division. Division taken over by his second in command when it was discovered he was a spy. No one has been able to catch him yet." She rattled off and Orion smirked.

"Well they haven't sent the two best damn soldiers in the country after this fucker yet, have they?"

"They just did. Last known location is Atlanta. He's got an apartment up there. In the Hills. I know where that is--had an uncle up there. It's smack in the middle of the ATL, though." Lynx replied quickly, her bright green eyes skimming over the document one last time.

"Echo, what is it?" Major called over their shoulders and the partners turned around to look at the division's resident scientist gliding across the clearing, his boots crunching on the gravel. Rumors around the division said that Echo used to be one of the world's top assassins--that is, until he went rouge during the height France's "Retour de la Révolution". Other rumors suggested that Echo had been a test subject for the corrupted labs in D.C. from the time he was a child up until just over a decade ago, eventually killing his captives and escaping. Major had found him while he'd been on the run after news had spread of what had happened, and he'd resided in King since under a new name. Echo himself never confirmed or denied any of the rumors, seeing it best to "humor the team" and "let the chips fall where they may".

"Major," Echo interrupted Orion's reminiscing, "I was reading up on Macklevine's case file, and I don't think you should send Lynx out after him. Orion should be fine, but Lynx should stay here. For the safety of everyone." He insisted calmly, the utter blankness in his voice infuriating Orion.

"Excuse me? Why shouldn't I go?" Lynx snapped and Orion touched her arm. "Easy, monster." He murmured, his eyes still locked on Echo.

"Macklevine has one of the D.C. mutants--one of the pit bulls. The...beast he calls a pet is named Shadowfax. He's a Monkshood mutant." Echo explained quietly and Orion bristled.  _Monkshood mutant? Must be one of the fucks that they mixed the cells with plants or something. Monkshood is a paralytic. If that shit is in the dog's bite, you get bit and you're fucked._

"Convincing enough for me. You're staying here. Dog involved, you ain't goin', plain and simple." He growled, gently prying the file away from Lynx and grabbing his shotgun from Taurus, who'd been quietly watching the exchange from the weapon shed.

"You're not going alone!" She protested and Orion rolled his eyes.

"It's a weasel spy and a mutant dog, Lynx. I think I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not the one who's afraid of dogs. I'm used to this bullshit." He assured her and Lynx growled.

"I. Am. Going. Viva la fuck you." She shouldered her way past her partner and Echo and sat down in the car with a huff.

"Just...watch out for her, Orion. You know how she is around dogs." Major instructed and Orion nodded.

"No problem, boss. She'll be fine."

 


	4. Sacrifice

  
Orion flicked the lighter in his hands on and off, his back pressed against Lynx's. It's taking everything not to fall asleep and to stay on his watch, his head constantly drooping and his eyesight getting fuzzier with each passing second. With each burst of orange heat he's pulled from sleep again, doing his best to not wake Lynx.

Every mission was like this. They'd stake out the target's hideout for a day, learn their comings and goings, then strike. The partners always took turns on watch at night, letting the other sleep while they kept their eyes on the prize.

Right now, Orion and Lynx had their backs pressed together, her head occasionally lolling back to rest on his shoulder. He flicked the lighter on again, staring at the flame as it died out. _Man, this is bullshit. I'm tired of waiting around for nothing to happen._  Orion slipped the lighter into his pocket and elbowed Lynx, stifling a chuckle as she jolted awake. "Your turn to watch, Lynx." He mumbled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and pulling the hood over his eyes, snuggling down to sleep.

"Get some sleep, man. I'll wake you up in the morning." Lynx promised and Orion nodded, already half asleep.

 

***

 

"Get up, Orion. Show time." Lynx murmured, nudging his shoulder.

"Hm? Oh. Thanks, My--Lynx." Orion corrected himself mid-sentence, not wanting a repeat of three nights before.

"You talk in your sleep," She noted suddenly as he sat up and he froze, swallowing. "You whimper a lot, too. Like someone's hurting you." Lynx continued and Orion nodded, trying to shrug it off.

"I, uh, had a rough childhood. What...what did I say?" He asked, half wanting to change the subject. The only reason he'd even asked what he said was to assure himself that she was still in the dark.

Lynx shrugged as she stood up, wiping her hands off on her thighs. "Just...mumbled. It was...kinda sad, actually. What the hell did you live through?" She asked, glancing at him as she adjusted her gun belt.

"It doesn't matter. C'mon, let's just get to Macklevine and get out. We've got a job to do out here." Orion grunted, disregarding Lynx's question. She seemed slightly hurt, but she didn't say anything else as she followed behind him, silent steps accompanied by the embarrassingly loud echo of adrenaline-fueled breathing.

 

***

 

Orion and Lynx stood outside of the door, weapons drawn and safeties off as they waited for some sort of sign that they could have the upper hand. Orion held his breath as the noise inside the apartment stopped, his index finger inching towards the trigger of his shotgun. "On my mark," He murmured and Lynx nodded, every muscle in her body visibly coiling to spring once the door was open. Orion took a breath and tried to make the ringing in his ears ease, every shaking breath burning.

When shuffles started in the hideout, he kicked the door in. Bullets filled the air in the same instant and he shoved Lynx behind a chair, a bullet clipping his shoulder as he dove for the cover of the couch. Blood rushed down his arm and soaked his sleeve, all of his senses fading out for a split second as his brain registered the pain.

The growling of a dog pulled him back and he looked up, spots briefly clouding his vision as he took in the sight above him. The dog, presumably Shadowfax, towered over him, teeth bared and lips pulled back in a snarl.

There, lying on the carpet in a quickly forming pool of his own blood, Orion sighed. He blinked and brought his chest up off of the floor so that he was eye level with the dog and cleared his throat, making sure he sounded as dead as he currently felt. "Couple things, dog. First off, you're really fucking creepy. Secondly, I didn't sign up for this shit. I didn't sign up for _any_ of this shit. So would you kindly just fuck off?" He grumbled, slowly reaching for his knife. Shadowfax snapped his jaws and Orion sighed again, his shoulders sagging. "Of course not." The dog lunged in the same second, his forelegs immediately baring down on Orion's chest as he snapped for some sort of hold on the soldier.

All of this unfolded while Macklevine sat in a recliner, occasionally sipping from a mason jar.

Shadowfax's massive jaws clamped around Orion's forearm and dragged him to the ground, snarling and trying desperately to get to his neck. Blood dripped from the dog's jaws with each lunge and Orion's arm burned with each pump of venom the mutant mutt administered, forcing him to momentarily forget about his partner.

"Connor, help me!" Lynx shouted and Orion tore his eyes away from the dog for a second to look at her. She was battered and bloody, being back into a corner by the bodyguards. One of them had his hands locked around her throat as the other shoved the barrel of a pistol between her teeth, both of them grinning and murmuring something he couldn't hear.

" _Mya_!" He yelled involuntarily, drawing his knees up to his chest and shoving his feet into Shadowfax's stomach, sending the dog careening into the wall. He was on his feet in an instant, his mind fuzzy from blood loss, but he still bunched his muscles and lunged at the body guards. He wanted to roar, he wanted to say something heroic, something witty, something that would make them afraid, but the words were lost as he slammed into one of the men with the force of a truck, ripping Lynx's buck knife away from him and driving it under the guard's chin.

"Oh, no, you ain't runnin', motherfucker." Orion snarled as the other man tried to bolt for the door, grabbing his shotgun off of the floor and smashing it against his head. He hit the floor almost instantly, the force of the trained killer's gun knocking him to the carpet. Orion's muscles burned while he coiled them as much as they would let him as he brought the gun down on the man again, his bitten arm making him want to scream at the pain the movement caused.

When the man stopped struggling Orion threw his gun on the ground, panting with his hands on his knees and sweat dripping from his nose. Or maybe it was tears. Or blood. _Honestly, who the fuck knows._  "Lynx, c'mere." He murmured, striding up to Lynx and pulling her into his arms.

"Macklevine got away," She whispered, burrowing her face in his chest.

"It doesn't matter. Are you okay?" Orion asked, pulling away to look at her. Her emerald eyes looked dimmer than usual, her lower lip was split, and her face was covered in cuts and already-forming bruises.

"I think so," Lynx's voice wavered and her eyes darted to Orion's shredded arm, blood from the wounds dripping onto the floor. "That dog got you..."

"It's nothing. I've had worse. You sure you're alright?" He shrugged off her worries, his hands immediately going to her face and running his thumb over each of the marks. "That fuckin' weasel. We'll get him next time. That's a fucking promise."

 

***

 

 _Why the hell can't I breathe? The fuck is...oh no. Monkshood. Shadowfax was a monkshood mutant._  "Hey, Lynx? You, uh...you think you can drive us home? I'm not doin' so hot." Orion slurred out and she nodded.

"Pull over, dude. I'll get us back." She agreed as Orion did his best to move the car off of the highway and onto the shoulder. His hands stayed on the steering wheel and he stared at the ground, trying to catch his breath. "Orion? You okay?" Lynx asked quietly, grabbing his good arm.

"F-Fine. I'm fine. Just need some sleep." He mumbled, awkwardly climbing into the back seat.

"Your arm is still bleeding," she pointed out and Orion glanced at the tattered remains of his sleeve.

"Oh, would you look at that?" He growled as blood dripped from his arm and onto the car floor.

"Put your arm on the console--let me look at it. See what we're dealing with here." Lynx ordered and Orion glared at her.

"No. I'm fine. Honestly, completely, and perfectly fine."

"No, you are not. You're in so much pain that you, the car guy, can't drive." She snapped, reaching out to grab his arm.

"I just need to rest, Lynx. Really, I'm alright. Promise." He protested as Lynx pulled out her buck knife and cut away the tattered half of his sleeve.

Her bloody and bruised hands gently grazed over his arm and she sat it down, grabbing the med-kit from under the seat and a mason jar before climbing into the back and sitting on the console, Orion's sluggishly bleeding arm in her lap. She flicked on the overhead light and peered down, picking up the mason jar and soaking a piece of a towel in whatever was in it. "This is gonna suck," She muttered, screwing the cap on the jar and pressing the towel to Orion's arm. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut as a slightly duller fire was added to the dog bite, his stomach lurching at the instant rush of pain.

"98 proof moonshine. Highest you can get, really. 100 proof is pretty damn rare. This oughta clean it out a little so I can at least _see_." She murmured, tracing an old scar as the burning eased and Orion relaxed again. He meant to ask exactly  _where_ she had gotten the alcohol, but the world blurred around him and his body started to numb out. He ended up stating the obvious.

"It's not gonna help. I got enough monkshood in my system to kill ten men. Just--"

"Don't say that. Don't you even start. You are _not_ dying on me." Lynx snarled, grabbing the sides of his face. She leaned until her face was inches from his, searching his pain-filled eyes.

"Lynx. Just...get me to Echo." He whispered, his eyes drooping.

"No. Don't you close your eyes. Don't fade away. _Please_ , Connor." Lynx begged, twining her fingers in his hair.

Orion shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere, Lynx. Just...just tired, is all. I'll be okay in a minute." He swore, his words slurring again.

Lynx huffed and pushed herself off of the console, lifting Orion's head so she could sit down and her partner was laying on her lap. "Then I'm staying right here with you. We'll wait this out together, just like always."

 

***

 

He didn't know how long he was out for. All he knew is that when he woke up, his head was still in Lynx's lap. Her fingers combed lazily through his hair again, pausing occasionally to check his pulse. She'd been singing to him at some point, he'd heard it; her voice floating through the car, singing the same song he always sang to her when she couldn't sleep on missions.

"There's another verse, you know." He smirked, lazily grinning up at her.

"You're an asshole." She growled, smacking his chest once and laughing as he winced.

"How long was I out?" He asked, trying to stretch and hissing at the pain in his shoulder.

"Almost an hour. I called the base after you blacked out. Echo said something about monkshood being a paralytic; no one wanted to take any chances. He also said it was good that you stopped. That I needed to stay with you 'til e-vac got here. That those dog bites could kill you." She murmured, shuffling to the other side of the seat to give him more room.

"Lynx, can I ask you a stupid question?" Orion asked quietly, glancing up at her.

"Shoot,"

"You and Lupus..."

"What about it?"

"Do you want him as your partner instead of me?"

Lynx gave him an incredulous look, almost like she considered smacking him again, but it softened after a second. "I...I don't know. Major told me about your testing. Congratulations, man. You've earned it. Maybe we should split so you can finish, you know? I'd just weigh you down--just like today." She grumbled, leaning her head on the back of the seat.

Orion sat up abruptly, ignoring the pounding in his head and the dizziness that came with it. He gripped her chin, pulling her forward until their foreheads touched. "Lynx, don't ever think that. Don't ever think that I don't want you around. Okay? Today was...something neither of us were prepared for, that's all. But I'd do it again and again, if it meant saving you. If saving your life meant losing mine, I'd give it up without a second thought. We're partners. That's what we do." He promised, gold meeting emerald for a long moment.

Lynx leaned back a little further at his sudden seriousness, looking anywhere but at him.

"You better call Command. Make sure e-vac is getting here soon. Don't think I can take much more blood loss." He mumbled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Erm, right. I'll, uh, I'll do that."

 

***

 

"So the mission was a failure, Agent Orion?" Major snapped, his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth across the floor of his office.

Orion glanced at the remaining half of his sleeve, the shredded remains dangling over the gauze wrapping around his forearm, before answering. "Yes, sir. Macklevine got away. Sorry, sir." His words had more bite and bitterness to them than he had intended, but it was mostly because Major was avoiding the fact that his adoptive daughter was nearly killed--and would've been, had it not been for him.

"That's unfortunate. And you were badly wounded?" Major continued and Orion nodded, biting back a sigh.

"Yes. The monkshood dog got me pinned."

"I noticed. And Lynx...took care of you?" Major asked slowly, stopping to hesitantly face the soldier.

"It was mutual, yes. I saved her in the apartment, she watched over me when I blacked out from the bites, making sure I didn't, you know, die, or anything." Orion snapped, grinding his teeth together. _Take the fucking hint!_

"Of course. Lynx has a knack for coming to your aid, doesn't she?" Orion didn't answer. He didn't need to. "You two were paired together," Major sat down in his chair, "because I had hoped that you would take care of her. She's too young and reckless to be allowed to fight alone. She doesn't think clearly in the heat of battle. Her judgment is clouded by anger, fear, resentment...you get the picture. Lynx is an incredible and loyal soldier, but I don't trust her alone." He leaned over the desk and braced his hands on the edge.

"And I don't think I trust her with you, either. I've seen the way you look at my daughter, Connor, and I don't like it. She's...fragile, and she should be treated as such. Her mental state is far too unstable, as far as Echo and myself are concerned. You...you're just as reckless on the battlefield as she is. Just as...immature. Stupid. So overcome by self-preservation and hatred that you can't even see the devil beside you." Major droned on and Orion's blood boiled under a mask of neutral silence, but the last remark broke him.

"Oh, I see him alright. All I have _ever_ done is try to protect her. Did she tell you what happened in that apartment? _Why_ the mission went fuckin' haywire and Macklevine got away? When that dog had me pinned to the floor, trying to rip my fucking arm off, Lynx took on that weasel's body guards. And you know what happened? She got cornered. They backed her into a corner and they stuck a gun in her mouth.

"Now, you sit there and tell me what a terrible fucking job I'm doing and how I let horrible things happen to that girl. Did I fight the dog off and go right for Macklevine to complete the objective? _No_. And you know why? Because _you_ always told us that our partners were more important than a target's demise. That our partner _always_ comes first, and that we lay our lives down for them, no matter what. I went after two dudes twice my size with my bare fucking fists to save that girl. Not because I want her in my bed, or because I have something to prove, but because that's what partners do. We die for each other."

 


	5. Doomed

 

Everyone's lack of trust in him was absolutely maddening. _It's like the entire division suddenly decided "Hey, let's fuck with Orion and make him hate himself. That seems like a great idea!". Give me a fucking break. Joke's on them--I'm already 98% angst and self-loathing._

Orion snarled under his breath as the train of thought halted and he focused on the sounds around him: the whir of so many different cars and trucks and motorcycles mesmerizing him, lost in an element that was completely his own.

No one could bother him--or rather, no one in their right mind would bother a man with a gun strapped across his back. And, should someone not in their right mind come around, he could handle them. No big deal. He didn't let his mind wander back to the base, didn't let his wounds wake him and force him back to reality. He just sat. Sat on the ground, in the dark, like an idiot, because fuck you, that's why.

The dull thud of the bass in some shitty country song about a truck and moonshine pounded in time with footsteps he couldn't hear--should've heard, the sudden ringing in his ears and the cloud of smoke his only warning before he jumped to his feet and ripped the blades from his boots, eyes straining for some sort of sign that there was something human. People screamed, rides roared to life, gunshots rang out and the entire world ceased to spin and his throat burned, the ringing in his ears turning into drums in his head as he sank to his knees, clutching the back of his neck as he waited for a blow that would end it.

A low whistle brought him back and he opened his eyes to see a hand extended to help him up. He let his eyes travel up to the owner of the hand, face hidden beneath a dark hood, but the bright green of their eyes shown in the fire he didn't realize had been lit. "Lynx? He managed to mumble out, grabbing his partner's hand and letting her help him to his feet. 

"You have no idea of the absolute shit storm you're about to walk into, dude." She muttered and Orion growled out a questioning noise as he pulled his hood up. "Major is pissed that A), you left, and B), you let the Phoenixes come here and fuck everything over." Lynx answered, constantly looking over her shoulder at something he couldn't hear.

"Wait, they were here? I--I didn't--"

"Just shut up and move."

 

***

 

When he'd been in his room for nearly eight hours and no one had sent for him, he knew it would be bad. Not even Taurus had come up to ask him what had happened or why he'd left--in all honesty, he didn't think he'd be able to answer the latter. So he sat, and paced, and read, and cleaned, and paced some more, waiting for the call that would either lead him to a lecture, his freedom, or his death.

He didn't know which one he preferred as Perseus pushed his door open and ordered him to Major's office.

"Can I ask what this is about?" Orion asked, eyeing the hand that lingered about the hilt of his teammate's katana. Perseus' jaw clenched and his fingers wrapped around the handle of his blade, top lip curling up. "Guess that's a no?" Orion laughed, trying in vain to lighten the mood.

"Keep walking," was all Perseus said, keeping his eyes on the gravel in front of them.

 

***

 

" _Please_ , you don't get it!"

"He's a good guy, Major, you know he is."

"You watched him grow up, for Christ's sake! It was one mission--a mission he didn't even know he was on! _Please_ \--"

" _Enough_. Both of you, out. Now."

Orion heard the arguing before he saw the people pleading for him--Lyra and, not-so-shockingly, Taurus. Lynx was nowhere to be found--another shock, since she usually pleaded his case when the shit hit the fan. Perseus stopped abruptly at the steps but shoved Orion forward, turning around to leave until Major called him up.

"I'll need you for this, Perseus."

"Yes, sir." He snarled, the hissing of metal forcing Orion to realize what was happening. What was _going_ to happen.

_Oh my God, he's going to kill me._  Survival instinct kicked in before logic and he lunged, forgetting everything he was taught in favor of dragging out his life for even a few more seconds. Perseus reacted twice as quickly, predicting every move he was going to make and positioning himself so Orion couldn't get more than a few feet without a blade on his throat. His dark eyes were glazed as he waited for some sort of silent signal from Major to put his teammate down, but Orion still stared at him, his hands half raised--a silent plea.

"Perseus...you don't have to do this. You don't have to listen to every little thing this guy says to the letter." He murmured, inching forward a little with one hand stretched toward the katana's blade.

"Disobedience is what got you here, Connor. The rules keep us alive--refusing to follow them will kills us all." Perseus growled, rotating his shoulder until the blade swung forward and and rested closer to Orion's hand--poised in the air like a snake, and the assassin locked eyes with his leader.

"You know what protocol dictates we do to traitors, don't you, Perseus?"

"Yes, sir. I do."

 

The ringing in his ears returned and his left side burned as the smoke cleared again--he'd blacked out. Orion groaned as he tried to brace some of his weight off of his left arm while he tried to lift himself from the gravel, biting his lip as if that would ease some of the pain. Worn combat boots in front of his face and blood soaking everywhere only added to the realization that he was still alive. He forced his eyes open as he felt himself being dragged from the ground and lifted to his feet, someone putting his uninjured arm over their shoulder.

"It's gonna be alright, dude. We'll get you to Corvus and everything is gonna be okay, okay?" Taurus' voice faded in and out with Orion's consciousness, everything falling silent for a split second before Major's booming order entered the fray.

"You will do no such thing, Agent Taurus. You'll take the boy to his room, or you'll leave him here. If he pulls through, great. If he doesn't, oh well. He's lucky to be alive." He snapped and Taurus lurched forward, only to be held back by some unknown force.

"Matt, don't. Let's just get him to the house and we'll do what we can from there." Lyra murmured, dragging both Orion and Taurus away from their leader.

The reek of iron and copper flooded the air and burned his lungs, and Orion could faintly hear Major _congratulate_ Perseus for mutilating him over the dull dragging of his feet over the gravel.

"You'll be okay, brother. It's gonna be alright. I promise." Taurus repeated, a muffled swear leaving either he or Lyra as Orion faded out again.


	6. Strangers

"I thought Major said you couldn't help?"

"I was _brought_ to this division to help. What good am I if I don't?"

"Perseus could kill you,"

"He wouldn't dare. Echo and I are too valuable. If even one of us died, you'd all be screwed. Now get out of my way."  
Lyra and Corvus argued back and forth before the medic gave his order and shuffled towards Orion, who'd been unceremoniously dumped on his bed in the guys' house when Lupus--surprise, surprise--had gone to get Corvus.

Orion grumbled as he drifted in and out of consciousness, trying to occupy his mind and keep himself busy by trying to figure out what had gone wrong--why Major had damn near had him killed. _I'm not a traitor--I didn't do anything. I was just...I was there, the shit hit, and Lynx showed up. It was a fucking college kid's bonfire--it wasn't some fucking life-or-death hit._

"Holy shit, I was set up." He blurted and there was an audible thump as Corvus and Lyra stumbled backwards.

"C? What did you say?" Corvus asked and Orion opened his eyes, forcing himself to sit up and look at the laceration on his arm--at the shredded muscle and ruined tissue that may never properly heal.

"He set me up," he murmured, turning his hand over and glancing at his company. "He set me up because he wanted an excuse--he wanted me gone. He wanted a reason to kill me, because he knew the rest of the team wouldn't agree to an execution unless there was a legit reason behind it. He set me up to fail so that he could have me put down." His jaw clenched and every working and sore muscle in his body tensed with the realization.

"Lyra, close the door." Corvus whispered, moving aside an assortment of gear as he turned to face the younger soldier. "You realize that you could get killed just for saying that, right? It's--"

"It's treason." Lupus interrupted, pushing into the room past Lyra and grabbing Orion by his injured arm. "Every single worthless bunch of you are nothing but traitors to the man that's given us everything."

"Dude, what the fuck? You were the one that went and got Corvus--you're just as wrong as he and I are." Lyra retorted and Lupus chuckled, his grin widening as he dug in nails into Orion's wound and the older soldier yelped.

"Why, exactly, do you think I wasn't at the 'execution'? It's because we planned this. Major wanted to see who was really loyal to the division--to the Order itself. And it obviously isn't you three. And as soon as Major finds out about this..." He stood up to leave and glanced at Orion's shotgun by the door. "Maybe he'll use your signatures. Give you a real soldier's death." He winked and stepped into the hallway, only to have Lyra grab him by his hood and yank him back until his spine was parallel with the muzzle of her pistol.

"Back up, or I will put you down, Agent Lupus. That is an order from your superior, soldier." She snarled and Lupus tensed, smirking.

"Okay, Lyra. Whatever you say." He purred, the threat completely unconcealed.

Orion forced his mind into gear, his fuzzy brain slowly processing the threat. He worked through what the younger soldier could have on him, how easily any of them could maneuver in the small space of his room, how long it would take for Lupus to either charge his way out and jump over the banister or kill the three "traitors" and claim to Major that he "did the right thing". The safer option seemed--

"Lyra! His wrist!" He shouted before he could stop himself or even finish his train of thought, part of his subconscious remember the hidden blade strapped to Lupus' left arm. Lyra turned to look at him in the same second Lupus acted on his upper-hand and swung, the blade connecting with her collarbone like it had Orion's in a sparring match only weeks before. The familiar sound of metal crunching and bone splintering made him want to be sick, the dizziness in his head only adding to his disorientation as he shoved Corvus away from the fire-fight.

Lyra's fights weakened as the stronger soldier met her blow for blow, each of his counters forcing her deeper and deeper into the pain that came with failure. Lupus used his sheer mass to his advantage in the small space, making it impossible for the smaller soldier who specialized in agility to get the upper hand on him. Orion's mind raced again and he tried to think up a plan to help her, or to at least get Lupus to back off for a few seconds so she could get out.  _Wait--Taurus--_

"Where's Taurus?" He asked quietly, his head snapping around to Corvus. The medic shrugged as his eyes darted back and forth, trying to follow Lupus and Lyra's movements.

"He disappeared after dumping you in here. No explanation. Hand me that bottle." He mumbled hurriedly, pointing to an empty beer bottle that had been long discarded under Orion's nightstand. The injured soldier fumbled for a second, wondering if he was actually okay with Corvus knowing about the filthy habit--eventually deciding that whatever he was going to do with the bottle would probably be much more useful than any excuse Orion could dream up when his brain was barely getting enough blood and oxygen to keep his eyes open. His left arm burned with the slight movement it took for him to grab the bottle and hand it to Corvus, biting back the whine that threatened to escape him after God knows how long he'd spent showing his pain.

The glare Corvus gave him when he recognized what had been in the glass bottle beforehand was enough to make him coware, outwardly wincing and ducking his head as the surgeon shouldered past him with the neck of the bottle wound between his fingers. He reached Lyra and Lupus in what seemed like half a stride, digging his nails into Lupus' neck and forcing him to release his death-grip on Lyra before shoving him backwards, reaching around and shattering the bottle over the navy-clad soldier's head before he had a chance to recover.

Lyra stood with her palms braced on her knees, gasping for breath, before reaching out and snatching the broken bottle from Corvus and pushing him to the other side of the room like she'd been the one to hit her teammate. "Your code is do no harm," was her explanation and Corvus scoffed, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, another part of that is 'take no shit'."

"I thought it was 'take no prisoners'?" Orion mumbled out and Lyra squinted.

"That's _our_ code, dumbass."

"Don't call him that. He's exhausted and losing blood. He needs rest and something to drink that won't kill him before he can legally drink it." Corvus snapped, glaring at him again. "And I am going to talk to you about that when you've rested enough to gather your thoughts. Lyra, grab Lupus and get him to his room. He's going to be just as pissed when he comes to as he was when he blacked out--maybe worse. It'll be safer for everyone to get him isolated." He ordered quietly, stepping over the shards of broken glass and walking out of the room, his steps echoing through the entire house as he tromped down the stairs.

"I'm sorry, brother." Lyra murmured, whether to he or Lupus, Orion couldn't tell, but the words lingered in the back of his mind regardless. She finally sighed and draped one of Lupus' arms over her shoulders and hauled him to his feet, practically dragging him out the door before glancing at her bloody teammate again. Her sigh was louder this time and the following sound of boots dragging across the wooden floor might as well have been Orion's equivalent to nails on a chalkboard, forcing him to cover his ears and bury his face in his pillow despite the searing pain of the position change, letting himself fade to black.

***

It was dark when prodding fingers woke him up again; pressing on his neck, his forehead, his left arm, his wrists. His arm burned and his head throbbed as he batted the cold hands away and sat up, forcing his still-sluggish brain to register who was in front of him. Dark skin washed out under the bright light of the lamp, the only thing Orion could use to identify Taurus was the way his head tilted as the adoptive brothers studied each other.

"I've never been so grateful to see such a confused face." Taurus finally whispered, wrapping his arms around Orion's neck and pulling him into a tight hug--ignoring the startled grunt of his injured friend. "I thought you were gonna fuckin' die, you absolute piece of shit." He snarled suddenly, gently pushing him back and trying to make his voice angrier than he really was.

"Well, I ain't dead, so quit trying to baby me. Corvus said I need to rest so--" Orion retorted--Taurus was quick to interrupt him.

"Actually, jackass, Corvus told me that you needed to be monitored. That your blood pressure and vitals n' shit were all so low that you could die in your sleep. And right now, I'm apparently the only one in the division who gives a fuck whether you live or die. So, goddammit, you are going to shut up and let me show you some fuckin' affection because I almost lost my fucking brother." He snapped, clenching his jaw to hide the fact that his voice broke at the end of his rant. Orion blinked, stunned into silence until Taurus hugged him again and Orion wrapped his good arm around his chest, thanking any god that would listen that both of them were still alive.

"I love you, brother." He whispered, smirking at the muffled scoff he got in return.

"I love you too, asshole."


	7. Demise

 

There were no benefits to getting injured--even in battle, where every wound is designed to make death as painful as possible. There was no "day off", no "rest up for a few days"--it was immediate action as soon as the bleeding stopped. If you could breathe, if your limbs still worked, you were in enough shape to fight. That was the law of the soldier. You wash the blood off, and you charge forward to the sound of gunfire and death.

Orion sighed as the water poured over his back, wincing at the memories that came as the hot water rolled over the deepest scars there. His eyes fluttered closed and he sighed again, bracing the palm of his right hand against the tile wall and letting his head drop forward. He opened his eyes again as he felt the wound reopen and stared at his shoulder, numbly watching the blood wash down his arm.

_You didn't deserve this. You didn't do anything wrong. Whatever he's finding fault in is complete bullshit._  He assured himself, only half aware when the water ran cold and the calm that the blistering heat had given him was replaced by blinding cold--waking him up.

 

***

 

Corvus was waiting for him after he was dressed, the disgust and anger on his face nearly masked by a neutral expression. "What's up, Corvus?" Orion asked, biting back the pained noises that threatened him as he lounged back on his bed. A muscle in the medic's jaw feathered and he clenched his fists, his eyes instantly glued to the shattered remains of the glass bottle that Orion had never bothered to pick up--he'd sooner take the glass in his foot. That wasn't nearly as painful as the entire division knowing that he may have had a slight problem.

"'What's up' is that you need to talk to someone and I prefer it be a medical professional--i.e., me. How long has this been going on?" Corvus' tone was harsh--infuriated was a better word for it than angry--he was far past being angry. 

Orion shrugged, refusing to meet his eyes. "A while," he mumbled, wincing when Corvus took a stride towards him and he hurriedly continued, "a while as in maybe a year? Two? A while." His voice trailed off and Corvus continued to advance on him until his chin was in arm's reach.

"Connor. Look at me when I talk to you and listen to what I am about to say." He ordered and Orion dragged his eyes up, instantly wanting to slam them shut again. "Two years. Do you realize how much damage two years could've done to you?" Orion nodded. "To say I'm disappointed would be putting it gently. I'm downright pissed at you. If it were up to me, you'd be admitted somewhere. This could kill you, Connor. You honestly--" Orion cut off Corvus' rambling and stood up, leaning forward until his was nose-to-nose with him.

"You think I wanted that? Think I wanted any of this? I didn't sign up for this shit, Corvus. It was either stay here and die, or go to prison and die. Neither of them seemed ideal at the time, but I didn't want to die! I wanted to drag out my miserable fucking life as long as I possibly could--as long as whatever higher fucking being that's pulling the goddamn strings would let me.

"And now I've made it this far, and there's no going back. Not anymore. So you can rant and rave and scream at me all you want, but I finally found a way out of the mess that I've gotten myself into. And, in all honesty, I'd rather die with my hands on a bottle than the trigger of a gun."

 

***

 

Corvus has said some other things after Orion's outburst, but the red had never bothered to truly retain any of it. Just rambled about a bunch of things like how he was going to end up dead if he kept going the way he was, how stupid and childish he was being for drinking himself to sleep instead of facing his problems--shit that he already knew.

"What would Mama think if she could see me now?" Orion mumbled to himself, staring at the floor. He scoffed at the question before answering it for himself, shaking his head. "She wouldn't even know me--wouldn't want me. If she saw what they've turned me into...Mama wouldn't even recognize me anymore." He murmured, cracking his knuckles.

He'd heard Perseus coming up the stairs--could see him in the doorway, but didn't ever acknowledge that he was there. The older assassin sighed and shut the door behind him, crossing his arms. "Connor," he whispered, forcing him to look up.

"Did you know that I had a son?" He asked suddenly and Orion cocked his head, hoping for some insight. "Correction, I have a son. A little boy named Jason. He and my wife are under the division's protection--they're untouchable. I joined up so that my boy could grow up and I wouldn't have to worry that someone could hurt him for everything I've done since I was recruited." He paused to glance at Orion--to measure him. How he was reacting. When he didn't protest or seem to have anything to say, Perseus continued, "JJ is my world. That boy...I'd die for him without question. I would die for my son just like I would die for you and any of the others here." Perseus paused when Orion cracked his knuckles again. 

"What the fuck was the point of this?" He growled and the older assassin sighed, running his fingers through his hair and sitting down on the bed beside him.

"The 'fucking point' is that I know how you feel r--"

"Bull-fucking-shit you do."

"I do. I--"

"You have a family, Perseus. I don't. You get to see them and tell them you love them and they return it and--"

"I haven't seen any of them since I joined this goddamned project, Connor. I haven't seen my little boy or my love in almost 12 fucking years. But I plug away day after day because I have an extended family here that needs my help. And you're part of that. I take solace in knowing that Jay and Amelia are safe with me here, but if something were to happen to you, or to Taurus, or to Lynx, or to any of you, it would absolutely break my heart. You know why? Because I love each and every single one of you. Because if I could do something to help you and I didn't, it would kill me." Perseus murmured, grabbing his shoulders. Orion shrugged him off, scrubbing his face with one hand. 

"You don't mean that. You don't care." He snapped and Perseus snarled under his breath before standing up.

"You say that, but you say it like you don't believe it. From a father to a son, you need to get your shit together, kiddo."

"Says the man that damn near chopped the arm off of the 'kid' he claims to love like family." Orion retorted and Perseus' fists tightened at his sides.

 "I didn't want to do that, Connor. I was just..."

"You were just 'following orders'. You're nothing more than a leashed dog, you know that? You'll do whatever Major tells you to do just because that's all you know--you obey." 

"You know why I do? Because my family and everyone I care about will be wiped from the face of the fucking planet if I defy him. You may not have anything to lose, but I sure as shit do. So you go ahead. You waste your fucking life with alcohol and whatever the fuck else you do when you're alone and scared. Just don't expect me to stand by. If I'm a dog, I'm a guard dog, and I'll be damned if a member of the family I've sworn to protect is hurt because they did something stupid."

 

***

 

It was late at night when Major called him into his office.

 

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Orion asked, straightening his spine and keeping his eyes forward.

"I did, yes. Sit down." Major ordered and he nodded, relaxing his stance a little and sitting in the chair across from his leader. "Orion, do you know about the Aries spies?" Major asked, leaning back in his chair as Orion nodded.

"Macklevine was one of them. He was from Cynthia, right?"

"Correct. I'm going to ask you to do something for me, Orion." Major leaned forward again and Orion swallowed, nodding once. Major held a file in the air before dropping it on the desk, clearing his throat. Orion's heart thundered and his hands shook, trying to slow his heart rate.

"In Cynthia, the leader they call Reaper still has all of the information we're missing on the Aries. If you can get that file, if you can prove to me that I can trust you with a mission as delicate as this, you will earn your ranking back. Your payments will start coming in again, you'll get more free time, medical treatment, you and Lynx won't need to be separated, etcetera. Do I make myself clear?" Major raised an eyebrow and Orion tried to process the information as quickly as he could.

_So Lynx isn't avoiding me--he's keeping her from me. But I can have my partner back. I can have my life back. All I have to do is get one stinking file. I can do that._

"Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?" He growled, standing up and leaning over the desk until he could see the papers that Major had laid out.

"I want you to get this file by any means necessary, but there's a catch: you aren't allowed to kill Reaper. When push comes to shove, we may need that division and its leader in the final stretch. Use any asset you have." Major instructed and Orion smirked, his eyes glinting. 

"Perfect. So you're telling me to use my body to get what I want? Something that I'm used to doing?"

"I'm telling you...to use any asset you have against Reaper. This is an important mission, Orion. You have to be willing to make sacrifices."

"I'll do whatever I need to do." Orion swore, his pride raising just a little when Major smirked.

"Excellent. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

 


	8. Reaper

No one had offered to go with him—Major had even insisted that he go alone. Perseus watched as he pulled through the gates, one hand squeezed into a fist at his side and the other on the hilt of his sword. Orion and Taurus had shared nothing more than a curt nod, words no longer needing to be said before they separated. Taurus' face gave nothing away, his fear cleverly masked behind shaking hands and shifting feet. Corvus was the only one that showed any emotion—anger. He knew what Orion would end up doing in Cynthia, all of the things— _people_ —he would do. He tried to ignore it, instead focusing on what he would do to get to this "Reaper".

 

_A majority of Cynthia's division are girls. This should be easy enough._ He thought, smirking. _It's almost too easy._

 

***

 

He scanned the map over and over again, determined to commit the small base's layout to memory. "You are a trained killer. You are a highly skilled special operative. You've done worse than snag intel." He told himself, holstering only one knife and leaving the rest of his arsenal in the car.

_Major said I couldn't kill Reaper, but I have to defend myself if one of those psychopaths comes at me._ His eyes surveyed the empty lot around him, listening for anything that could signal him getting his ass beat. "Okay, Orion. Let's go to work."

 

***

 

Stealth was not his strong point. Granted, nothing was his strong point when his left arm was still barely functional. But he hadn't expected them to catch him already. He hadn't expected to feel someone watching him in the dead of night, eyes trained on him. He didn't have to see them to know that they saw him.

The girl—who he could only assume was Dahlia from the short black and purple hair—had one hand around his throat and his back against the wall, gripping him with more strength than he'd expected from a girl named after a flower. "Aster, get his tags." She ordered quietly as another cold hand snatched his dog tags from around his neck, holding them up to the spotlight.

"He's Orion, boss. Not a real threat so long as he's alone." Aster purred, flicking her pale blue bangs out of her eyes.

_They wear the same colors. The hair is how you tell them apart,_ Cepheus had told him years ago when Orion was learning about the other divisions, and he'd been committed to making sure he remembered every aspect of his enemy—whether he needed to or not. Dahlia smirked when Orion didn't respond to the blunt insult, digging her nails in.

"You think he's a bleeder?" A third girl giggled, grabbing his chin and Dahlia dug her nails even deeper into his neck. _Different shades of orange. She's Lily._  

"Let him go, D. No need in killing him. Looks like he only came for intel or some shit like that. Jackass only had a hunting knife on him—isn't Orion known for having a shotty?" Aster asked blankly, spinning Orion's chain around one finger.

"Does it matter?" Lily chirped, pressing the tip of Orion's own knife under his chin and pulling it forward, letting out a pleased sigh as he hissed and winced at the feeling of blood pooling around the blade.

"Tell me, Orion, do you live the luxurious life granted to a true king? Or does your division simply carry the name as though you are all nothing more than false prophets?" Dahlia cocked her head, releasing her grip on his throat and throwing him into the circle of girls.

"Agent Orion, born and raised right here. Walker County. Your parents died here. You are standing on the very stones that ran red with your mother's blood, Connor. The scar around your neck, brought on by the knife that killed her. Your father did it, right?" Dahlia paused when Orion stiffened, studying his expression—a grin spreading across her face when he squinted and tried to swallow.

The lump in his throat that occurred at the memory of his mother was burned away by the fury he still harbored for his father—at all of the horrible things he'd done to them both. The scars on his back burned at the thought, the memories of whiskey and gravel and wooden planks making him want to break the features of stone he was forced to carry and scream to a god who he felt had abandoned him. 

Dahlia's grin widened and she stepped a little closer, grabbed him with a little more force. "Does it make you sad? Angry? Or are you allowed to hide like the false prophets you follow? No, I shouldn't call them that. Your _Kings_ deserve something far more...fitting. Liars, that's better. Thieves. Murderers. Y—" 

Orion finally cut her off, his composure snapping as he lurched forward. "Shut. Up. You don't know a damn thing about me—about any of them. You're the same as us. All of you—nothin' but a bunch of pink-clad bitches who think they can get whatever the fuck they want just because you're girls. I've known real criminals more humble than you." He snapped, nose-to-nose with the girl.

Dahlia's face was cold, her eyes hardening and she raised an eyebrow, made a signal that Orion couldn't see, and this time as a cold hand snaked around his throat, he felt himself being ripped back into the metal wall that hid the division from the rest of the world. The ringing in his ears was real, the sound his head made when his entire body slammed into steel was sickening. His eyes blurred even as he forced himself to his feet, trying to figure out which of the girls had his knife even before his knees locked under him and he had sense enough to lunge.

He briefly remembered Lily being the one to cut him with his own knife and went for the girl with the orange hair, his arms locking around her waist as he barreled into her and forced her into the dirt.

"Straight for the mount, eh? Told you he'd be a top, D! You owe me." Lily actually _giggled_ when Orion pinned her wrists above her head and tried to pry his knife from her hand, giggling even louder for his grunting at the effort it was taking to hold her arms down. "You guys gonna let me have him all to myself or...?" She called over his shoulder the second he got his knife back. Aster seized the opportunity for grab him by the neck again, pulling his chin towards her.

"Pretty little bastard, aren't you?"

"We have an objective, ladies. We have to take strays to Reaper." Dahlia interjected and Lily pouted, eying her from beneath Orion's thighs.

"C'mon, D. He's too cute to go to waste. You're number one—prove it." She smirked, wiggling her hips while Aster traced the contours of his face.

"He's a little more than 'cute', Lily. 'Hot' is more like it." 

" _Extraordinary_ suits him better. His lineage is rare—it shows." Dahlia growled, snatching his chin from Aster and gripping both sides of his face with her hands, stroking

the circles under his eyes.

"So...does that mean we get to have some fun with him?" Lily asked, pulling her hands free from his grip and sliding them up his chest. Dahlia released his face with a sigh, taking a step back.

"Take him to the beds and follow protocol."

  

***

 

"Truly extraordinary, you are. Too bad you didn't get many brains to go along with the looks—you'd really be a catch, then. Then again...maybe you just lack common sense."

Orion listened to Dahlia pace, trying to keep his breathing even. His vision blurred as he tried to take in what happened around him. Things hurt. His head hurt. There was bruising and blood stained skinned and everything burned. The knife on his throat added to the sensation as he tried again and again to keep himself from blacking out, thoughts whirring through his head that came and went so quickly he didn't even have time to process them.

He couldn't place where they were—couldn't trace their footsteps on the floor, couldn't measure the distance from wherever he was sitting to the door, couldn't find some means of breaking away from the knife at the top of his neck or the gun pressed to the base of his skull. But he could hear them speak. He could smell them—among other things. He could sense where they were in terms of intuition and instinct.

_Instinct can only get you so far._ His thoughts echoed the words of his mentor, pulling him back from the brink of fear and attraction.

Three beautiful women, each making him their bitch. Lily and her obsession with knives had ended poorly for him, the accidental one slice too deep causing more pain and blood than originally intended. Dahlia had silenced her when she'd tried to apologize—instead, cutting her turn with him short in favor of putting Orion through his paces.

She rode him hard, made him sweat and swear, tried to make him beg, tried to make him whine and plead and lose what little cool he had with her. Her cold hands drifted to either side of his face, caressing his jaw with surprisingly gentle movements—stark contrast to the number she was working over around his waist. She pulled the blindfold from around his eyes and pushed him back onto the bed, grabbing his wrists and holding them above his head.

"You good?" She asked quietly, her breath ghosting around his ear. He responded by jerking his hips up, fighting back the smirk.

_Stay neutral. Don't act like you enjoy it. She'll take advantage of that._ The only indication that she felt anything at all was the arching of her back and the small whines that escaped her throat, her fingers twining around his neck like it was something normal. He took the opportunity when she released his hands to grab her hips, lifting her up a little higher and lowering her down with a little more force than she was giving.

Dahlia whined and winced for a moment before catching up with the rhythm, not even protesting when Orion sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her a little closer as blunt nails dug into arms and thighs and teeth grazed neck and chin and his stomach knotted and she cried out and—

 

His head hit the wooden floor of Reaper's office with a terrifyingly loud crack and he was jerked up by the hair, looking the girl he'd just fucked senseless dead in the face—neither of them carrying much of an expression other than glossy eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Thank you, Dahlia. Leave us." Reaper instructed, their voice raspy enough so that Orion couldn't place whether they were male or female. He'd hoped the leader of a division filled with girls named for flowers would be another woman, he hoped that this meeting would settle his score with Major, he was still hoping that he would be back with Lynx when— _if_ —he made it back home.

"You are Agent Orion. You were born in Walker County. You are an orphan. How am I doing so far?" Reaper reported, pausing and cocking their head. Orion kept to his place on the floor, his hands resting on the small of his back and his head down. He didn't want to know how they all knew so much— _too much_ —about him. He stiffened, forced himself to swallow. 

"Stand up." They ordered, and Orion could hear the click of a magazine being loaded into a pistol and the safety switched off. "I said to stand." He stood, eyes locked forward and breathing surprisingly even.

"Take the hood off. Now." Reaper ordered, a harsher tone in their voice than there had been. 

_It's a guy. Great._ Orion thought as he peeled his hoodie off, letting it rest on the chair beside him.

"Keep going. Strip." Reaper snapped and Orion pulled his shirt and boots off with no problem, fumbling and suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious as he went for his belt. His hands shook even more when the buckle finally gave way and he tried to unbutton his jeans, trying to ease his suddenly erratic breathing.

_Keep it together, Connor. You've been with guys before. It's fine. Just get it over with. You'll be alright,_ he assured himself, blood still roaring in his ears. He locked his eyes forward, forcing his frantic heart to finally settle. 

Reaper eyed him, watching every move he made like a starving animal. When he finally stood up, he circled him. Trailed the muzzle of the gun along his jawline, traced his fingers through the scars on his back. "You are a truly extraordinary specimen. I genuinely look forward to breaking you." He purred, pushing the pistol into the nape of Orion's neck as he leaned closer. "Tell me why you're here," he ordered, one hand drifting down towards his hip.

"That's between me and my headmaster." Orion ground out, flexing his jaw.

"So stubborn," Reaper noted, shoving the gun so far forward that Orion started leaning towards the desk, "so stubborn that you can't see that we could help you. We could make you feel human again, Connor. All you have to do...is whatever I tell you." 

Orion's throat closed up—he tried to swallow and everything burned. "And then you'll give me what I came here for?" He forced out through clenched teeth, biting down a shudder when Reaper laughed against his neck. 

"Of course, soldier. Whatever you would like, it's yours." He promised and Orion swallowed again, nodding.

"Then do whatever you want to do that'll get me what I need."

 

***

  

Everything was aching when Orion suited up again, silently tugging Macklevine's file from Reaper's outstretched hand. "Remarkable, Connor. Absolutely remarkable." The leader purred as Orion turned to leave, his heart dropping to his stomach.

"Thank you," he answered simply, his eyes dark. "Am I free to leave?"

 "Absolutely, soldier. You can go and do as you wish. You are no enemy to my division."

"Well. I definitely appreciate that."

 

***

 

Orion dropped the file on Major's desk without a word, refusing to meet his leader's eyes. "You got it?" He asked and Orion nodded, swallowing. "Excellent work, agent. Our conditions will be kept. Congratulations. Might I ask what you did to get it?" Major tilted his head and Orion looked up, finally looking him in the eye.

"I was humiliated. He—yeah, Reaper is a dude, by the by—treated me like a fucking object and I _let him_. Just to get you your goddamned papers. So just remember that the next time you want to send me to my death for a crime I didn't commit, the next time you want to keep my partner and I separated, the next time you lie to my face and force me to do shit I wouldn't even to _drunk_. _Now give me my fucking money_." He snarled, bracing his palms across the desk and digging his nails into the wood.

Something like rage or pride or burning hatred flickered across Major's face as he stood up and walked to the safe behind his desk, rifling through and pulling an envelope out. "You and Lynx will be sent out again once your arm has completely healed. Until then...don't get lazy. You're still a soldier—you'll still have testing. You aren't an assassin yet, _boy_." 

Orion finally took Major's sudden silence as his dismal to leave after a few moments of it, turning on his heel with the still unopened envelope in his hand. 

"Connor," Major started again and he stopped in the doorway, hand on the doorknob, "I just wanted to thank you. Not many of the team would've been willing to take that mission—do what you did." Orion bit down the growl that rumbled in his chest, forcing out his reply.

"I did what I had to do."


	9. Start

The dress shirt itches. The collar is too tight. The shoes look fucking  dumb . Everyone around him is dressed like they’re visiting the Queen, all dresses and suits and-- _Christ it looks like a funeral with colors._

He recognizes a few faces--he sees Taurus’ mom and dad, sees Maggie’s family on the other side of him, suspects that the old couple glaring at him are her grandparents. He swallows. Breathes. Tries to pay attention. Too many thoughts occupied his mind, too many uncomfortable glances made him bite down the urge to duck his head and either run or fight. “Remind me why I’m doing this,” he murmured, leaning slightly closer to Maggie. 

“Because I’m paying you. Stop talking.” She retorted and Orion repressed a sigh, sliding down a little further into the pew. The hyper and flamboyant pastor’s sermon was falling on deaf ears, at this point. Nothing but white noise. He honestly  did not care. About  any of this. If anyone other than Maggie had asked him to do this, they were right to assume that his fist would connect with their face. _Okay, so I wouldn’t hit a girl. But I_ _ damn _ _sure wouldn’t be here if someone else had asked. I don’t care what the fuck they offered._

Everyone stood up around him and Maggie tugged his shoulder, pulling him up with her.  _Singing. Didn’t we get enough of this before the Oompa Loompa started shaking his fist and cursing trees?_ He must’ve made a face, because he felt Maggie jam her elbow into his ribs. Orion swallowed again, keeping the startled grunt silent. _It’ll be over in a second. Pay better be fuckin’ good._

 

***

 

He tried to avoid Pat--honestly tried  very hard. He stood close to Maggie, half-listening to the idle chatter surrounding the church grounds and completely ignoring the fact that the man who saved his life was there. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy to see him--a childish part of him was elated, actually, but Pat wasn’t supposed to be in on division’s affairs. He  had to know that he was there because he was being paid.  _Please, don’t let him think I’m here as a legitimate civilian_. Orion thought as Pat eyed him for much longer than the soldier felt comfortable with, instinctively shrinking down. Maggie glanced up at him, cocking an eyebrow. 

“You good?” She asked quietly and Orion swallowed, forcing himself to shrug. The shirt itched more, harsh material dragging across the rough skin of his back. Annoyed him. 

“Jason Ares--aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Pat boomed, clapping him on the shoulder and Orion--as embarrassing as it was--jumped. He forced out a half-smile and Maggie stifled a giggle as her parents turned to look at the cop and the undercover soldier.

“Office Cunningham,” Orion acknowledged, dipping his head. He didn’t bother trying to figure out how Pat knew his alias-- _Probably a cop thing._

“Connor, you are familiar with the law?” The older woman asked--in an extremely thick southern accent--and Orion rubbed the back of his neck, glancing to Pat for an answer.

“In a way, Mrs. Holofield. He and my son consider themselves brothers. This boy is as much mine as he was his own father’s.” Pat lied--no, he didn’t lie. It was true. All of it.

“Oh, isn’t that sweet, Margaret?” The woman asked while looking at Maggie and Orion choked on a laugh.

“Your name is Margaret?” He forced through the laughter and Mrs. Holofield glared at him again.

“You’re her lover, aren’t you, Jason? Shouldn’t you have known that?” She asked and Orion forced himself back into composure, straightening his back.

“I guess it never really came up. She introduced herself as Maggie, so that’s what I call her.” He explained calmly, swallowing the lump in his throat as Maggie traced the planes in his back. Mrs. Holofield blinked and frowned before turning back to Pat, forcing one corner of her mouth to turn up to a polite smile.

“Office Cunningham, have you ever...arrested Jason?” She asked quietly--Orion knew that Maggie couldn’t hear, and he wouldn’t be able to hear it either if he were normal.

“I personally have never arrested him. I’m in no position to say whether he has been or not, either. If he has been, it’s his choice to tell you. But I can tell you with absolute confidence that he’s a good man. He made a few...questionable choices when he was young, but that doesn’t make him any less worthy for Margaret, I can assure you of that.” Pat murmured as Orion finally grabbed Maggie’s elbow and pulled her aside--out of the hearing range of this group of people that the Flamingo Man called his “flock”.

“Why did you have to bring me  here ? Pat knows who I am--he knows what I do. Now he knows that you’re associated with me-- you . A civilian--an  innocent. Do you know how bad that is for you?” He snarled, trying his hardest not to convey any emotions on his face that her family could use against them. 

“You need Jesus, anyways.” She retorted and he fought the urge to yell.

“Jesus ain’t fuckin’ here, I can tell you that.” Orion muttered, trying to ignore the sudden ringing in his ears as the heel of Maggie’s hand connected with the back of his head. 

“Connor, I swear to God, if my family hears you speak like that--if Matt’s parents hear that--you won’t get a penny.” She snapped and Orion took a wild guess and figured that she was losing her patience with his noncompliance.

“You owe me more than money for this,” he growled, keeping his eyes glued to hers.

“You don’t get a damn thing.” Maggie retorted, crossing her arms. Orion ran a hand through his hair, inhaling as much as the shirt would let him. 

“If you don’t pay me like you promised,” he started, leaning towards her, “I’ll kill you. You don’t cheat me, Mags. Debts to me  have to be paid.” He snarled, tracing his fingers across her jawline. 

“You wouldn’t kill me.” She scoffed, knocking his hand away. 

“Don’t test me.”

 

***

 

Orion never thought he would be grateful to stay in someone else’s house--the only thing he didn’t like was that he couldn’t walk around without his shirt on in Maggie’s house like he could in King. “It’ll make my mom uncomfortable,” Maggie told him. He glanced at the still-healing wound that trailed his left arm, chewing on his bottom lip.  _At least I’m not cooped up King. I get to be with a person who doesn’t know every gory detail. Maggie is a hell of a lot better to me than the other guys are._ He thought with a guttural growl, flexing his fingers.

“Hilarious that they’ll let me sleep in the same room as you, but if I don’t have a shirt on when I wake up I might as well be hitting your mother.” Orion mumbled and Maggie poked her head around the frame of the bathroom door with a grin. 

“Hypocrites. All of them. Seriously, though--you need to listen to their rules while you’re here. I don’t want to have to kick you out before my grandparents leave.” She threatened and Orion groaned, leaning back on the bed.

“Seriously, why am I here?”

“Because Grandma and Grandpa are convinced that I’m going to die alone. You’re the only guy I could think up that’s half-decent and can lie like you get paid for it.” Maggie winked, waving an envelope in his face. Orion sat up and grabbed for the paper, hoping it was his payment. She jerked it away and held it behind her back, smirking. 

“Give me my money.” He growled, holding his hand out.

“Not until they leave,” she whispered in a sing-song voice, tapping his chest. 

“ Maggie, ” he hissed, curling his lip.

“You’re not getting anything until the end of your mission,  soldier .” She retorted, shoving him aside and locking the envelope in a safe under the bed.

“Goddammit, Mags.” Orion grumbled, scrubbing a hand across his face. 

“Isn’t it in the Code somewhere?” 

“Whatever,”

 

***

 

He shouldn’t be sleeping with her-- legitimately sleeping with her. Curled around her with her head tucked under his chin, with her bare back on his chest, with his arm slung around her waist. Sure, they’d fucked before--he ran to her when he wanted a real break. When he didn’t want to lie his way into someone’s bed. When he just wanted someone he trusted--someone who knew who he was, what he did, and still wanted to be his friend. Maggie wanted more than that, obviously, but friendship was all he could commit to giving her. 

But he didn’t understand  why he was in bed with her. Sleeping with her and holding her and clinging to her like he  needed her. Listening to her breathe, feeling her shift beneath him and snuggle closer to him.  _You don’t love her. It’s the euphoria talking. Just an orgasm high. Chemicals n’ shit._ He assured himself, but he still buried deeper into the covers, shifting closer to her and drinking in the moment.

 

***

 

He’d made his way back to the air mattress by the time Maggie’s mother knocked on the door to wake them for breakfast and pulled the blanket over his head with a groan. Maggie crouched at the head of his mattress and ran her fingers through his hair, pushing the blanket down so that she could see his face. “Good morning, Mister Ares.” She murmured, trailing her fingers across his jaw and down his neck towards his chest. Orion forced his eyes open and smiled up at her, reaching up and cupping the back of her neck with his hand.

“Good morning, Miss Holofield.” He returned, sitting up. 

“Do you want to shower first, or should I?” Maggie asked as she stood up and Orion smirked.

“Why waste water on both of us?” 

 

***

 

No one questioned either of them when Maggie and Orion finally joined her family. They asked a lot of questions, but not the one Orion dreaded.

“So, Jason,” he turned to Mrs. Holofield and fought back a groan of annoyance, “what, exactly, is your lineage? If that isn’t too insensitive, of course.” She corrected herself quickly and Orion sighed, rolling his shoulder. This was the one part of his life before the Order he didn’t have to lie about, but it still twisted his heart to even  think about it.

“My mother was part of the last descendents of the Cherokee people.” 

“And your father?” She pressed, forcing the knot in his stomach to dig its way deeper. Maggie put a hand on his knee. Kept him grounded.

“My  father ,” he snarled out the word, “was absolutely  nothing . Just lowlife white trash that wasn’t worth the bed his wife made him.” Orion spat, noticing too late the death grip he had on the blade of a steak knife. Where it came from, he didn’t know--all he knew was that there was a knife in his hand and blood running down his arm. The blood from his palm made quick work of the long sleeved shirt and Orion pressed his palm to his abdomen, standing up quickly and outwardly wincing at the sound of the chair’s legs scraping the hardwood floor.

“Kitchen,” he growled, the question coming out as a statement, and Maggie was the first to stand and lead him towards his destination. Orion didn’t focus on his bleeding hand, didn’t glance at the immaculate kitchen--the tile now blood-spattered. Didn’t even look at Maggie--didn’t pay any attention to the pain in her voice as she struggled to assure both he and herself that it was fine. He focused on the burn--that sheer fire that flooded up his arm and ripped him apart from the inside out. He’d cut his hand before--it’d never been like this. He’d had  worse wounds that hadn’t felt like he was being branded. He’d been shot and stabbed and cut and hit and  nothing had hurt like his hand did now. 

The world didn’t blur like it usually did when he started bleeding out--he could still make out every minute detail of everything around him. Could feel the pinpricks in his hand as the alcohol and water mixed into his wound--felt  less than pinpricks compared to the burning. Could sense the cold tile on the balls of his feet, heard the blood from--where was he bleeding?--dripping to the floor. Smelled the blood and--what is it? antiseptic?--mixed with fear. There were other people in the room with them now. He thought he was on the floor. He felt the impact of the tile on his shoulder, heard the sound ricochet through his head and felt the dull ache spread through his other arm. This was the arm Perseus cut, wasn’t it?  Wasn’t it? Wasn’t that why he was wearing long sleeves in the first place?

Light in his face. Fire in his body. Pain-- everywhere . Screaming, not his own. He wasn’t making a sound, he’d feel his throat ripping apart, if he was. The light was gone. Everything was black. He couldn’t feel the fire anymore. Couldn’t feel  anything .

_Finally_.

 

***

 

He’d never had a mission that landed him in a civilian hospital. The last time he was in a hospital, he was 8. He was getting his tonsils removed.  _Or was it my appendix?_ His own  memories didn’t even make sense under the lull of the anesthesia. His hand felt like it was tied in on itself.  _Stitches. Great._ There were people in the room--he could smell them more than the horrible combination of Clorox and peroxide. There was a dog, too-- _Who in the hell has a dog?_ He couldn’t open his eyes, couldn’t look around and try to plot an escape route. 

He could jump out a window if he was on ground level. Maybe he could handle four stories if there was an awning on the second. Could wrap his hand and snag some painkillers from a supply closet and try for the door. A window seemed like his safest bet.  _Unless they know who I am and have me locked in a padded cell_. The voices surrounding him were clear again. He was acutely aware of the returning pain in his hand--that fire scorching his body again.

“We have to get him out of here before Major and the Higher Ups find out. If someone from the Order figures out that a soldier is in a civilian hospital--if a  civilian finds out--he’s fucked. We’ll  all be fucked. Royally fucked. This is a pretty big fuckin’ deal--they’ve seen the tattoo. T--”

“Everyone and their fucking  mother have seen the goddamn tattoo by now! Maybe they’ll think he’s in a gang or something. Or that he’s just some asshole who thinks he’s bad.” 

“Have you  met him? That’s  literally what he is!”

“Shut up. Don’t use logic. We have to get him out.”

“My dad’s a cop. He could probably help.”

“And do what, exactly? Fake an arrest? Too much suspicion. They’ll know that he’s  definitely not normal. They have a fucking  cadaver dog in here. They _know_ he’s off--they probably think he’s on something. If they take him to the precinct…Major isn’t going to make Perseus wound him and let him walk away. He’ll kill him, this time.”

The voices were hurried, low. He recognized them--there were two of them. A man and a woman. Who are they? He knows their names--can’t force them to his consciousness.  _I am a vegetable._ He managed to think, more of a statement than anything. He couldn’t move--couldn’t breathe on his own. He was attached to more wires and machines than he’d seen in his life. Well, not “seen”. He focused on the bickering again. 

“...pull the plug? Hope he comes out of it? You really want to take a risk like that?” 

“I think I know him a little better than you do,  Matthew ,”  Matthew? Matthew? Do I know a Matthew? , “so I think it’s pretty safe to say that he’ll come to.”

“I’m not risking it.”

“It isn’t your choice. We have to get him out, and we have to do it  now .” His oxygen stopped on the last word, heard the heart monitor go quiet, felt everything start to shut down. His chest ached--his hand  fucking hurt . The fire from the kitchen was back at full force, the sharp pain making him want to rip his own hand off. He couldn’t breathe--his lungs burned. 

_This is it. I die here._ He thought desperately, trying to string his train of thought together as he actually  felt his body shutting down.  _No, no, no. We don’t die._ _ I _ _don’t die._ A needle is ripped out of his arm, then another. He feels whatever they were pumping into him stop flowing. 

“It’s do or die,  brother . Guts over fear, remember? You’re tough, redneck. A busted hand better not take you out.” He hears that--loud and clear. Hears the desperation in that voice, recognizes it.  _Taurus. His name is Taurus._ His chest heaves. He sucks in a breath.  Finally. Exhales. Inhales. Opens his eyes. It’s time to go.  Run.   



	10. Hunt

Orion's _everything_ burns. They don’t try to be secretive or discreet while running out of the hospital--he smells the gunpowder and he sees the blood and he knows that Lynx and Taurus are fighting their way out.

“Anybody moves, we blow this fucking building to bits with all of you in it. I’ll burn all of you fuckers alive, I swear to G--” Lynx ranted--no, _screamed_ , the smaller soldier _screamed_ her threats and the staff still coward, though Orion suspected they coward and Lynx cut herself off when Taurus snapped the hammer back on his gun. Battle mode. He saw a nurse dive for a desk and pick up a phone, but Taurus was beat her to it. He had his side-arm pressed to her head before she could finish dialing for help, whispering a threat Orion couldn’t hear and the injured man watched in blatant awe as his brother terrified a woman out of phoning for help.

 _’Bad with women’ my ass._  Orion thought with a sneer, his eyes trained on Taurus as he snatched the nurse by the elbow and shoved her into one of the waiting room chairs. It was obvious who was leading this little rescue mission.

“Lynx, tie them up. Anyone tries anything, I’ll use you for target practice, okay? Okay. Cool. Orion, get your ass to the front door. Now.” Taurus ordered, motioning down the hall with the muzzle of his assault rifle. He put his hand on Orion's shoulder once they were out of sight and earshot of their hostages. “Hey, you good?” He asked, cocking his head to one side and eyeing Orion's hand.

“Yeah,” he answered with a curt nod, forcing a smile, “I’m good.”

Taurus nodded once, like he was reassuring himself, before whistling for Lynx, the sharp noise echoing in the now silent halls. Lynx's returning whistle was much sharper and closer than Orion had anticipated, jumping a little when her slender figure was silhouetted against the wall behind them. “We ready to run?” She asked, her short strides matching their longer ones surprisingly well, and Taurus nodded again. 

“No casualties?”

“Only the security guards. No civilians.”

“Good. The last thing we need is more innocent blood on our hands.” It took Orion's still-fuzzy brain a few heartbeats to grasp the fact that this was Taurus leading this fight. Taurus, the same jackass who couldn’t order a pizza without having a meltdown and handing the phone to someone else. Who couldn’t watch movies like Homeward Bound or Old Yeller without crying. Who slept every night with a revolver under his pillow. Who called his mom on the weekends to check on his family. Taurus, who’d never been in charge of anything in his life, was now suddenly the CO of a raiding party, and doing surprisingly well. Orion didn’t know if he could believe it.

“Yo, Rio. Snap out of it. We need to move. Now. The dogs could be on the way, next.” Taurus waved a hand in front of Orion's face to try and snap him out of his thoughts before tugging on his elbow and lugging him down the hall.

 

The bright spot-light of the helicopter was damn-near blinding compared to the dark around them and the dim lighting of the hospital’s halls. _Damn civilians._

“Set your weapons on the ground and put your hands where I can see them--you won’t be asked again!” Orion had to squint to see the officer shouting orders and Lynx snarled something out of the corner of her mouth, glancing at Taurus. “Anything funny, we’ll cut you down.” The same cop growled and Taurus blinked, tugging his rifle over his shoulder and setting it on the ground at his feet.

“ _Are you fucking nuts?_ ” Lynx hissed as Taurus locked his hands behind his head, keeping his eyes locked on something on the edge of the light that Orion couldn’t make out.

“Just do it,” he murmured and Lynx shouted an obscenity before yanking the clip out of her pistol and tossing it down beside her knife.

“ _You_! Dumbshit--” a different cop pointed at them and Orion pointed at himself, leaning back a little.

“You talkin’ to me?” He asked, squinting so badly his eyes were barely open.

“Yes, fuckin’ you. Drop your weapons!” _That has got to be the thickest and stupidest accent I’ve ever fucking heard._

“I don’t have any? I’ve been unconscious for God knows how long. I just woke up, like, ten minutes ago. Where the hell would I put a gun in ten minutes without a totally awake brain? Up my ass?” He scoffed, laughing despite himself.

“Rio, they have the DC dogs. You’re about to fuck us. Just do what he says--” Taurus started and Lynx cut him off, “--also don’t be so much of an ass. Remember Shadowfax? This is like, twenty of him. We won’t be walking out of this one if they let the dogs loose.” She growled and Orion swallowed, trying to make out what his teammates were seeing.

“If I can get to a car, I can radio the base. Try to send for backup.” He ground out, slowly pulling his hands up to his head.

“No time. No time left. We either run or fight.”

“We can’t fight them. They have the mutants with them--I don’t care how good you are, you can’t outrun a dog.”

“I can outrun a car.”

“Bul _lshit_ you can. What about three dogs? If you get cornered, they’ll kill you. If they catch you, they’ll kill you. We can’t afford to run, here.” Taurus interrupted Lynx and Orion's arguing, again displaying levels of leadership Orion didn’t recognize from his brother.

“We’ll be okay. We’ll be fine. It’ll be alright.” Orion murmured to himself, trying to focus on something--some sort of far-fetched idea that would help him weasel his way out of this. _I can’t charm a cop. That never fucking works. Can’t charm a dog--that’s fucking gross._  “We are absolutely boned.” He muttered and Lynx nodded, balling her hands into fists and taking up her defensive stance.

“So, _boss_ , what do we do? We run or fight?” She asked and Taurus' jaw clenched, slowly dragging his eyes from the army standing in front of them to his team.

“We’re fighting.”

“If we die, it’s on you.”

“If we die, _nothing_ is on me, because I’ll be _fucking_ _dead_ , too. Just get ready.” Orion noticed Taurus' foot sliding towards his gun and Lynx's eyes darkening.

“What are my orders?” He asked quietly, the muscles in his back tensing for the spring.

“Just stay behind us and find a gun,”

“On your knees, all of you!”

“Taurus--”

“I said _down_!”

“ _Taurus_ \--”

“ _Get the dogs ready_.”

“ _Matthew_!”

“ _Kill ‘em all_.”

 

The explosion of bullets and barking of attack dogs nearly drowned out the roar from Major's Andromeda. Orion let panic set in for a split second before shoving Taurus to the side, both of them ducking for the cover of a cop car. “You get your pistol?” A nod. “Give it to me. I’ll cover you if you want to go for another spot.”

“Nah, man. If those dogs head this way, you’ll need all the help you can get. You still don’t look like you’re all there, brother.” Taurus protested and Orion blinked, sucking in a breath.

“Lynx is out there--if the dogs--”

“Andromeda is out there. The mutants don’t stand a chance. Let her do her job.” Taurus chided, still glancing over Orion's shoulder to look at Lynx.

“Do I want to look?” Taurus just shook his head and ducked down, jamming a fresh magazine into his rifle.

“Okay, I changed my mind. I’m gonna try for the radio in the chief’s car--you need to cover me. You _sure_ you’re good?” He asked, looking doubtful when Orion nodded.

“I’m good. See if you can grab Lynx while you’re out there?” Orion insisted, grabbing Taurus' arm as he stood up.

“I’ll _try_. But I’m not gonna risk the DC dogs getting us both.” He murmured and Orion snarled.

“They’ll kill her.”

“They aren’t trained to kill. They’re trained to wound and immobilize. She’ll be fine.” Taurus swore, jerking his arm out of Orion's grip.

“She’d better be.”

“Don’t be melodramatic. Just cover me.” Taurus retorted and Orion gulped in another breath before resting his elbows on the hood of the car and firing. His eyes still fought to adjust from the constant lighting change, and he hoped to whatever higher being that would listen that it didn’t fuck his aim. He snuck a glance to his left after firing a few rounds to check on Taurus, biting down his shock when his brother stumbled and grabbed for his leg, another bullet burying itself in his chest in the same second. Orion tore his eyes away from the scene to go back to firing, emptying the clip quicker than he’d intended. “ _Fuck_ ,” he muttered, reaching around his cover spot for another mag.

“Don’t. Move.” A low voice snarled out behind him and he felt the hot metal of a freshly fired rifle pressed against the back of his neck.

“I said don’t move, asshole.”

“I want your name.” Orion ordered, slowly pulling his hand out from under the car.

“What did I fucking say?”

“You said ‘don’t move’. You never said I couldn’t speak. I want your name.” He retorted and the metal burned the further it was shoved into his neck.

“It doesn’t matter what you call me, bitch. Stand up and maybe we’ll let your little buddies live. One wrong move, and the dogs snap their necks, comprende?”

“Okay, okay, I’m standing up.” Orion tried not to stammer as hands snaked around his neck and pulled him to his feet, forcing him to look over at the crowd surrounding the hospital.

“Which ones are they?”

“The red, the grey, and the black. King’s Unholy Trinity.”

“Hm. Sounds like a fairytale.”

“You wish,” Orion suddenly sneered--he couldn’t bite down the remark. His snark was rewarded with being pistol-whipped in the skull, pushing him back to the ground under the force. “Where are they?” He snarled from his place on the pavement, curling his lip.

“See for yourself,” the same person who’d been ordering him around before ripped him up by the hair. Both of them--Lynx and Taurus--were cornered. Lynx occasionally kicked at one of the shepherds keeping them blocked as she tried to stop the bleeding from a wound in Taurus' neck while he batted at her hand and tried to push her back.

“Call off the dogs.” Orion growled, pulling his hands to his chest and pushing his torso off the ground.

“And why should I do that, dumbshit?” It was the first cop from earlier--Orion heard him shift his weight.

“They’re here because of me. They didn’t do anything but try to help.” He argued, grunting at the sudden weight of a boot on his spine.

“So, what, you’re gonna play the hero?” The cop leaned down so that he could be eyes level with Orion--Eli Jacobs, sheriff. “Do you know how many people y’all killed in there? How many good men and women have died tonight?”

“No, sir, I don’t. And I hate to pull the typical ‘celeb in deep shit’ card here, but do you know who we are?” Orion asked, swallowing as much as the strain on his neck would let him.

“I know _exactly_ what and who you are. You, smart ass, are Agent Orion, civilian name's Connor Lawson, and you were wiped off the map seven years ago. Your friends, the one fighting the dogs--she’s losing, by the way--and the guy holding a bullet wound in his neck? They’re Lynx and Taurus. Lynx was Mya-Lee Simmons, disappeared almost a decade ago, and Taurus was and still is Matthew Cunningham--my deputy’s son. Pat won’t be happy to hear that his baby boy is knocking on Death’s door to save the same kid he rescued all those years ago.” Jacobs clicked his tongue and stepped back with a shrill whistle. Orion squeezed his eyes shut as the barking and growling from the DC dogs picked up, trying to ignore whatever was happening. _I’m sorry--I’m so sorry_. He thought, biting his lip. He felt the impact of the butt of a gun against his skull for a split second before he went dark again.

 

***

 

“You can’t possibly be certain that this is a mere ‘misunderstanding’, agent.” _Random doctors? No, Jacobs, right?_

“I do sincerely apologize for any trouble these children caused tonight, and it’s doctor. _I_ am not an agent. He is.”  _Echo._

“Ring, ring, dickhead. I’m here to take the kids back home.”  _Perseus._

“Two of the three are over 18. They’re adults, and they will be tried as such.”

“ _Mmm_ , no. Don’t think so. We’re higher on the totem pole than you. Besides, do you know how much shit these kids have prevented since the War? We’re taking them home, and that’s the end of this.”

“The grey and the black are in no shape to move. The grey’s wounds are too severe, and the black hasn’t come out of her paralysis. None of them are going anywhere.”

“What of the other point of our Unholy Trinity? The red?”

“I’m afraid he has yet to wake up, either.”

“But he wasn’t bitten?”

“No, but he was bleeding out. A wound in his hand--radial artery was severed earlier in the day and he was admitted to the hospital. The wound reopened and he has been unconscious since.”

“Unfortunate. We’re still taking them home.”

“You don’t have the facilities to care for them.”

“I beg to differ. I can assure you that I myself have treated wounds far more severe than this. These will be a simple fix.” Orion focused on the different voices of the people around him, forcing himself to lie still--to ignore the pain gripping his body. He could place the voices to people he knew--people he remembered. Echo, Perseus, Jacobs. A constant back and forth.

“What are the wounds on the other two?”

“Pre-existing or new?”

“Both.”

“Other than some defensive wounds while they were breaking into the hospital, there aren’t any pre-existing. Black has more bite wounds than our medic can count, a few defensive stab wounds, two bullets: one in the leg, one in the shoulder.”

“And the grey?”

“Same situation with pre-existing. He’s...he’s in bad shape. One arm is damn-near shredded from the dogs, there’s one exit wound through his femur, we’re assuming that we’ve found what remains of a hollow-point round in his ribcage, and there’s still a bullet lodged in his throat. If we don’t operate, that kid won’t make it out of here. He’s still bleeding.” Orion's entire body tensed at that and he forced himself to sit up, gritting his teeth under the harsh light.

“Where is he?” He snarled, struggling to focus on the blurry figures surrounding him.

“Who?” Jacobs scoffed and Echo stepped up, shined a flashlight to Orion's pupils.

“He’s talking about his brother. Connor, Taurus is in--what you would call ‘deep shit’. He’s bleeding profusely from a bullet wound in his neck--there isn’t much time left for any of the three of you. I’m going to ask you a few questions, but I nee--” Someone coughing silenced Echo and Orion strained to look in the general direction of the sound. He could feel ties around his wrists, his ankles. The table he was tied to was cold--colder than he would’ve liked. The lights were too dim and the damn things were giving him a splitting headache while he tried to make out what was going on around him.

He was too exhausted to try to focus on what Echo was saying, in too much pain to force himself to pay attention. He heard the frantic beating of a heart monitor, heard shouting and screaming and equipment crashing. His heart in turn jolted, the prospect of his friends dying terrifying him. He felt the needle in his neck before he registered the sting of pain, his spine bending up as he tried to fight back.

“Relax, kid. It’s helping you.”

 _Nurse? Perseus? Who the fuck?_ Orion thought he said something along the lines of “suck my dick”--didn’t know why, but it was the first retort he could think up.

“Simmer down, son. Just relax. You’ll be alright.”

“ _Matt_ \-- _Mya--_ ”

“Shush--no more talking. You’ve worn yourself out.”

“Wh...where--where are they?” Orion slurred, forcing his eyes open and trying to focus on the figure in front of him.

“You’ll all be fine soon, boy. Just quit fighting the drugs and you’ll feel better.”

 

***

 

The world snapped back into painfully sharp focus. Orion immediately sat up, never even noticing that he wasn’t tied down anymore. His trained eyes scanned the room and settled on the bed across from him, on the monitors and wires and IVs and the patient attached to them all. “Matt?” He mumbled, using his elbows to push himself up. The familiar friction of his well-worn holey jeans was the only indication that he wasn’t connected to something. There was an empty blood bag on the table beside him. Deafening silence that was only interrupted by the steady beep of the heart monitor across the room. Part of him was relieved to hear the steady and even sound, but a much larger, much more terrified part of him waited for the inclination of that solemn noise--or for it to stop altogether. And of course a tiny part wondered who put him in clean clothes. Talking fresh out the dryer clean. Honestly the only way he could decipher that minute of a detail was because his jeans were stiffer than he liked. Shit’s clean clean and clearly not “I wore them for two days to break them in but I still consider this ‘clean’” clean. His focus snapped back to the problem at hand.

“ _Matt_?” He called again, slightly louder this time, ignoring the dull ache in his head and the numb stinging in his hand. His stomach churned at the lack of response. He quickly tried to recognize where he was, knowingly pushing his brain to the point of exhaustion as he tried to piece everything back together. He remembered the dogs, the gunfire, the smell of blood and smoke and gunpowder and pure fear--truly realizes that they are alive. He can’t see Lynx, doesn’t know where she is, but he knows she’s alright. Feels it in his bones and down to his goddamn soul that she’s alright. He’s still silently waiting for his brother’s response.

He finally forces his legs to move, stands on pins and needles. He drags his feet towards Taurus' bed and bites his lip as he looks down at his adopted brother, slowly lowering himself into the chair beside his bed. “I did this,” he started, scrubbing a hand over his face, “I did this to us. I--I got greedy, said some shit, did some shit, and now we’re in deep because of it. I’m--fuck, I’m sorry, brother. I...I just didn’t think it would go this far. I didn’t think y’all would get hurt because I was a jackass.” He confessed, covering his mouth and squeezing his eyes shut because not a damn soul would ever see him cry. All of the soldiers know they aren’t exactly supposed to have attachments to their teammates--that it’s easier to fight and die when you know that you don’t have to worry about anyone and no one has to worry about you. There wasn’t much left he could say--not like he could think of anything else, anyways. 

 


End file.
